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Volume 49, Number 17, Published on 04/22/1996

News

Westwind's sense of purpose

Horseback riding facility in LAH gives disabled youth something

Thief returns $400 to Los Altos woman

Ever since word got out about the Los Altos resident finding $400 under her windshield, which had been returned by the burglar who took it two years ago, she's been a celebrity.She's been on TV. She's been in several newspapers. And now she's getting phone calls ¯ from a radio station in Los Angeles, from a friend in Placerville. And from people in the area."Someone called this morning (Friday)," Kathy Curless said. "'What a great story,' he said. 'Now, can you loan me $100?' " Yes, he was serious."Another lady called from San Jose and said that a few weeks ago she'd found two $10 bills under her windshield. But no note."Kathy Curless' story began two years ago when a burglar broke into her house during the night and took $400 from her purse.Then on April 17 she found an envelope on the windshield of her black Cadillac Seville. In it was $400 and an unsigned note from the thief."I have not felt confertable (sic) ever since I commited (sic) this crime against you."...I realize that I have done more than just steal your money. I know that I've probably robbed you of your sense of security and peace of mind. But I want you to know I'm not like I was two years ago when I stole from you."...I am very sorry for causing you grief."Please forgive me."Sincerely, a member of A.A."Curless said it took a lot of courage to write this letter and return the money."I want to encourage this person to continue with his rehabilitation. Don't slide back," she said. Los Altos police said the statute of limitations for a felony is three years and that any burglary is a felony. But "we haven't reopened the case," said detective Chris Fowlie."The victim hasn't contacted us. A.A. is confidential so we couldn't get anything that way. At this point we're not doing anything with the case," police said.Curless said, "I don't want any further investigation into this. I feel the person has made restitution and has paid enough of a penalty for what they did. A.A. is going a great job, to get people to make amends for things."After two years they remembered where they stole the money. So it's not a big-time thief. They haven't stolen a lot of money or they wouldn't have remembered where they took it."It's nice to have a good story with a happy ending ¯ good things do happen."

Camino Medical Group: What is it?

Town Crier Staff Report

Police arrest 3 in domestic violence fracas

After the 38-year-old husband called 911 for help, he stood on the front porch of his Los Altos home, his head bleeding profusely, waiting for police to arrive.It was just after midnight on April 18, and he and his 38-year-old wife had been sitting inside together on the couch."She cold-cocked him with a flashlight," said Los Altos police Sgt. Bob Lacey. While firefighters were attending to the husband, police arrested the wife on charges of domestic violence."The law says if there's an injury, by spouse against spouse, you make an arrest, plain and simple," Lacey said.Since the husband was going to the hospital and the wife was going to jail, police asked who they could call to come take care of the couple's children.Police called the husband's 71-year-old mother who lives in the area.Once the husband discovered the police had arrested his wife, he fought with police to prevent the arrest, Lacey said.Police then arrested him on charges of assault and battery on a police officer and resisting arrest.His mother arrived just in time to see her son being arrested. She fought to get him back.Police arrested her on charges of assault and battery on a police officer and resisting arrest.Someone still was needed to come stay with the children because now mom, dad and grandma were all going to jail."When all was said, we made another phone call, to the 71-year-old mother's boyfriend," Lacey said.This is an example of how dangerous a domestic violence incident can be, Lacey said. When there's emotional attachment and a loved one is arrested, it can start a chain reaction of events, he said.

LAH Council still undecided on federal block grant funding

The Los Altos Hill City Council last week directed staff to continue discussions with the Santa Clara Board of Supervisors over use of the Town's allotment of federal Community Development Block Grant funds (CDBG) ¯ funding the council basically doesn't know what to do with.Los Altos Hills funding presently totals $128,000 with an additional $83,000 to be allocated July 1. County staff indicated that the Board of Supervisors may wish to keep the money, since there is a recent effort at the board level to focus CDBG resources in the more urban and economically disadvantaged areas of the county. Mayor Bill Siegel maintains Los Altos Hills council members should make a decision on how to spend their funds within the town or on other cities should they wish. In other news, the town's Pathways Committee recommended the path between Lupine Lane and Elena Road be designated and signed at both ends as the Fran Stevenson path. Stevenson is a long-time resident of Los Altos Hills and served on the pathways committee for many years. The pathway element of the town's General Plan has named 11 streets designed to have paths on both sides of the road where feasible. They are: Altamont Road, Burke Road from Town boundary to Sunset Road, Conception Road, El Monte Road from town boundary to Foothill College, Elena Road from Venedo Road to Joseph Avenue, Fremont Road, La Paloma Road, Manuela Road, Moody Road from the Altamont intersection to Altamont Road, Page Mill from 280 to Paseo del Roble, Purissima Road, Robleda Road from Fremont to Quail Lane, Stonebrook from Prospect to Quarry Hills subdivision. The council also issued a proclamation in memory of David Packard, longtime Los Altos Hills resident and Hewlett-Packard Company co-founder, who died March 26.

Skating into a task force?

Judge postpones ruling on El Camino Hospital

A potentially momentous decision that could affect the future of El Camino Hospital operations was put on hold last week when a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge said he needed more information.Judge Jeremy Fogel said April 16 he needed more facts to proceed with a summary judgment stemming from an October 1995 lawsuit filed by the El Camino Hospital District Board of Directors against Camino Healthcare, the hospital's management. The district seeks to dismantle Camino Healthcare by claiming two central figures in the 1992 agreement to restructure hospital operations financially profited from the deal.Fogel rescheduled the hearing for July 16 and also granted the 150-physician Camino Medical Group's motion to intervene in the lawsuit against the District board. Camino Medical Group, a hybrid of Sunnyvale Medical Clinic and Shoreline Medical Group, allied with Camino Healthcare in 1994.Lawyers for Camino Medical Group claim district board members have their own personal interests in returning the hospital to district control. El Camino had operated ¯ and profited ¯ as a public hospital until the 1992 agreement to transfer all $250 million in hospital assets to the non-profit, public benefit corporation, Camino Healthcare.Jan N. Little, San Francisco attorney for Keker & Van Nest and representing Camino Healthcare, said under the re-organization of the district, the case is framed as a public contract. "Camino Healthcare's position is this case should not be here. Nothing happened on section 1090." Section 1090 of the state government code forbids public agencies to make contracts in which an officer or employee of the agency has a financial interest.Fogel rejected Camino Healthcare's motion to dismiss the District's complaint that the 1992 contract violated the state's conflict of interest law. "There is a fair amount of discovery that has to be done here," said Charles Breyer, San Francisco attorney from Coblentz, Cahen, McCabe & Breyer and representing the Camino Medical Group. "You need enough facts to develop the determination and we need more time."Stephen Mayne, attorney for the hospital District board, agreed that Camino Medical Group's intervention into the lawsuit was appropriate. Fogel also rejected efforts by attorneys from Camino Healthcare and Camino Medical Group to postpone the summary judgment hearing indefinitely in order for them to develop their discovery of additional facts. "I am not disappointed with the legality of the case," Mayne said. "It's the delay factor that I am discouraged with. They bought 120 days of delay and that action is inconsistent with the chair of Camino Healthcare's public pronouncement of a desire for a speedy resolution of its dispute with the District."Last week's court action is the latest in a series of developments arising from changes in hospital management as El Camino tries to adapt to an increasingly competitive health care industry. Proponents of the hospital's current integrated delivery system (IDS), which streamlines and economizes operations, say the IDS is the only way of surviving in an era of declining insurance reimbursements, fewer and shorter patient stays, and a surplus of physicians. Opponents say the current system is losing money for the first time in the hospital's history and is benefiting a minority of physicians at the expense of the majority.At an informal community meeting in the Town Crier building April 10, Jim Wilson, vice chairman of Camino Healthcare, said, in his opinion, the hospital's IDS may be dismantled soon in the wake of the district lawsuit. He also noted in hindsight that the Camino Healthcare board did not communicate effectively, to the district nor to the public."Mistakes were made and our initial vision was not perfect," he said. "Our board (Camino Healthcare) did not pay enough attention to the district in the beginning. We should have declared an open door policy and provided more information to the elected board. Knowing what we know now, we admit and acknowledge changes should have been made."It is my personal view we are close to breaking up the integrated delivery system and return it to the hospital. The Camino Medical Group expects the hospital to be returned and are already looking for new opportunities," Wilson added.Members of the study group said the lack of information is what bothers the public. Camino Healthcare chairwoman Lynn Briody said she doesn't consider the District board an adversary. The district created a friendly entity in 1992 and the contracts should be lived by, she said. "We can't give you full disclosure. We were created as a non-profit board and our function is to create a policy for the marketplace," Briody said. "The (state) attorney general will start examining our records at the end of April and the Internal Revenue Service will get full disclosure of our records. We didn't create the board we sit on and we have to live by the contract."

Comment

Save us from honest admirers

A letter to Jean Hollands in the April 3 issue of Town Crier reminds us that honesty is not always the best policy. "Admirer" expressed regard for Jean's column in a backhanded compliment that proceeds to criticize her picture and her smile."Admirer's" signature bespeaks a small spirit and an offensive attitude. Had she/he been a true admirer, the letter would have been signed. The person advised lean to "Do yourself a favor, Get another picture," and added, "We hardly see that many white teeth on a donkey."There we find a significant clue. Our advice to the writer, "Stop hobnobbing with donkeys and quit checking out teeth, equine or otherwise." As our sweet little nun friend said, in response to a compliment about her angelic face, "God doesn't go by looks." Nor, in our opinion, does God require brutal honesty in all situations. Scripture enjoins against bearing false witness against thy neighbor. As I interpret it, this precludes malice and ill will and tells us it is wrong to harm our fellows by impugning their integrity or giving false witness against them.Nowhere do we find that refraining from hurtful criticism is a sin. A "white lie" is so called because implicit in it are the sensitivity and empathy that come into play in sparing the feelings of another.Nothing is as perfectly designed to make us cringe than a criticism that is preceded by the words, "I am honest!", delivered in a smug, self eighteous tone. Too often, this means both barrels are loaded and you are about to get it right between the eyes.Perhaps "admirer' really means to help Jean, who seems to be doing very well on her own. Early on we were taught the wisdom of truth tempered with awareness. "If it will make a person feel worse than before you opened your mouth, hold your tongue." was the rule.Criticizing someone's appearance or a feature that is part of who they are is pointless ind cruel. Our culture is obsessed with outer appearances, media-created images and shallow values.. In her best selling book, "Reviving Ophelia," therapist/author Mary Pipher examines the irreparable harm done to girls from the age of 10 on, by society's inordinate emphasis on physical beauty.This leads to precisely the kind of misguided viewpoint that informs "admirer's" letter. As Professor Higgens so plaintively cried in Pyamalion, "Why can't they straighten up the mess that's inside?" One suspects that the insides of the correspondent is akin to a bass drum. Much percussion and lots of air.Since Jean's column occupies the space below my column in the Town Crier, I'm intrigued by the potential of a critique of MY picture that might read something like this."Those silly bangs on Mary Cristy make her look like a balding poodle or a surrey with a fringe on top. Her vapid grin is only less goofy than her fat nose, and the scarf aroind her neck conveys the impression that she's being hanged. Cristy should run, not walk to the nearest photo shop for a passport photo. Passport photos are notoriously unflattering, but in her case anything would be an improvement over the ditzy looking likeness we see each time her column appears."We expect that Jean's "admirer" is a young, gorgeous chick with drop- dead legs and a ligure to match.Some of us have droopy eyelids, crow's feet, overbites, dewlaps that cause us to reseinble Basset hounds, varicosities, love handles, and "all the (cosmetic) ills that flesh is heir to."To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln whose face was beautifully spiritual in its craggy homeliness, "There's prettiness in the worst of us, and homeliness in the best of us. So it behooves none of us to talk about the rest of us ."

Letters

The quotation attributed to me in the Town Crier, Wednesday, April 10, Page 4, Fire Task Force is either inaccurate or has been taken out of context because it implies that I support the firefighter's desire to have increased fire response. I support Chief Webster who stated in a recent task force meeting that Los Altos has adequate fire protection.In that task force meeting I tried to state the objectives of fire service for Los Altos and I was also trying to get answers as to why certain statements about needs should be taken as fact. My concept of the objectives of fire service is that the foremost is probably the safety of people, both the occupants of a building on fire and the fire personnel, Second is the prevention of disaster or spread of the fire (prevent another "Oakland"), and last on the list is minimizing the damage to your house. The fire services customer probably has insurance and improvement of services will probably not decrease insurance rates.Within this framework, I said that if there is a problem with personnel safety then it is reasonable to increase response. Since Chief Webster believes that safety of our residents and our firefighters is adequate, I support his position because I have not heard differently from anyone with his background and responsibility. I do understand that the firefighters want a greater level of response (and in their position I would want any improvement that I could get) but I should not be a part of that argument.The residents of Los Altos should have great interest in what is going on in the fire service discussions and should help the Council by stating their views on what they want from our fire department, In my opinion, the actions under way have a very good possibility getting the right answers.Tom AndersonLos Altos

Rosario case baffling in light of police dept. standards

Rosario, 30, a five-year officer on the force, is facing four charges: felony sexual battery; misdemeanor sexual battery and two counts of misdemeanor battery. The charges stem from three separate incidents involving women.

Community

Leaders discuss future of Silicon Valley at June conference

Special to the Town Crier

Los Altos Hills author signing her books at Heintzelman's April 27

Los Altos Hills children's author Shirley Climo will sign her latest book at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Heintzelman's Bookstore, 205 State St., in Los Altos. Her latest, "The Irish Cinderlad" is an unusual story of a young Cinderella lad who overcomes great obstacles to find true love. Her previous best-selling books, "The Korean Cinderella" and "The Egyptian Cinderella" were both highly acclaimed."In Ireland," Climo wrote, "there lived a lad named Becan. His mother gave him the name the day he was born, for Becan is Irish for ˚Little One.' Becan stayed small except for his feet that continued to grow." Those big feet kept Becan in trouble, but they also provided the route for Cinderlad because he ends up marrying a princess. "The Irish Cinderlad" is illustrated by Loretta Krupinski and retails for $14.95. For more information, call 941-1842.

Spring into sun-baked skiing at affordable Sierra resorts

Special to the Town Crier

In The Past...

Hidden Villa offers fresh produce weekly to its shareholders

Hidden Villa's Community Supported Agriculture project (CSA) offers its shareholders a weekly basket of produce, from early spring greens to late fall squash, harvested fresh from its organic gardens. Hidden Villa, of Los Altos Hills, is taking a leadership role by producing high-quality produce in an ecologically responsible manner. By purchasing a share in the farm, members reap the bounty of its success while supporting diversified farming practices in the Santa Clara Valley.CSA is an arrangement between shareholders and farmers which provide members with a diverse supply of in-season produce at an affordable cost. A community supported farm is a resource for food, learning, fun and community building, organizers said. Shareholders have the opportunity to work in the garden if they choose, and to meet other members in the community.The harvest season is from May to late November. A spring basket may contain lettuce, spinach, kale, chard, carrots, garlic, onions, potatoes, squash and green beans. A fall basket may contain beets, tomatoes, sweet peppers, salad mix, cabbage, broccoli, winter squash and watermelons. Flowers are included in the baskets during much of the season. Shareholders pick up their share of the week's produce at the farm or at designated pick-up sites in Palo Alto or Los Altos.Hidden Villa is a 1,600 acre educational farm and wilderness preserve near Los Altos Hills which offers a variety of programs for children and adults teaching environmental awareness and multicultural understanding. In addition to the CSA project, Hidden Villa operates an environmental program for 16,000 school children each year, a series of community programs, a hostel and a multicultural summer camp program. For information about the CSA project or to become a member, call 949-8647.

Senior Briefs

Los Altos Senior CenterFriday: 1 p.m. Birthday/bingo party. An afternoon of bingo, sing-a-long and birthday cake in Room 11.

City needs your help in shaping a vision for the future

Letter to the community

Community Briefs

Moffett Fieldinfo hotlineThe 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 telephone number for the hotline is 903-6616.

Rotary's Young At Art semi-finalists show their stuff

Local high school artists, who are semi-finalists in the Los Altos Rotary "Young at Art" youth art competition, will display their artwork at Gallery Michael, Great Southwest, Viewpoints Gallery, Fastframe and Gallery 9 in Los Altos Monday to May 16.Local gallery representatives make up the panel of judges who select the winners for the contest. The winning entries will be displayed at the Los Altos Rotary "Fine Art in the Park" May 18 and 19 at Lincoln Park in Los Altos and then at local businesses and banks. The Rotary Club will honor the winning artists at a special luncheon where they will receive a monetary award donated by participating sponsors.Initiated in 1992, the "Young at Art" Competition was designed to promote the artistic talents of youth and to provide them with the opportunity to display their art in a professional environment. The Los Altos Rotary Club sponsors the contest in conjunction with the annual art show. The contest is open to students grades 9-12 from Los Altos, Mountain View, Pinewood, Alta Vista and St. Francis high schools.

Loyola Corner's photo exhibit opens May 4 at History House

The Los Altos History House Museum will open a new photographic exhibit "Historic Loyola Corners ... Then & Now," at 8 a.m. May 4 in the History House Museum, 51 S. San Antonio Road, behind the Los Altos Library.Following an hour of viewing, the public is invited to visit the Loyola Corner's opening of the Farmer's Market. The exhibit will open for general viewing at noon until 4 p.m. and on Wednesday from 1-5 p.m. through July 31.The museum's Loyola Corner's exhibit will feature photographs of the area in the days of apricot, prune and walnut orchards. Nostalgic photos of Southern Pacific railroad trains stopping at Loyola Corners are sure to kindle memories of times past. Other photos and artifacts reflecting the first businesses in the area will also be on display for the three month exhibit. Regular exhibit hours are noon to four on Saturdays and one to five on Wednesday.Families that wish to stroll or bike to the May 4 Farmer's Market with high wheels and other antique bikes should arrive at the History House by 8:30 a.m. to view the exhibit and depart for the market at 9 a.m. promptly.

CSMA offers financial assistance for music lessons

April Chefs who Care hosted by Eugene's Polish Restaurant

The April "Chefs Who Care" dinner will be hosted by Eugene's Polish Restaurant in Los Altos. The two day event will take place 5-8 p.m. on April 29 and 30. Following a first course of soup or salad, diners will choose from a menu of old favorites, including pork a la Eugene, stuffed cabbage, or the combination plate, all served with vegetables and potato dumplings. They also may choose pasta with prawns with either Alfredo sauce or Elizabeth's special red sauce and vegetables, one of the new additions to the menu, or Elizabeth's prime rib served with baked potato and vegetables. The dinner includes coffee, tea or milk. Tibor and Leona will provide European gypsy music to entertain the diners. Outdoor patio dining is available upon request.Price of the dinner will be $17 for adults and $8 for children. From each of the adult dinners purchased there will be an $8 donation directly to the Community Kitchen which serves free hot meals to homeless and low-income people.Eugene's Polish Restaurant is located at 420 South San Antonio Road, in Los Altos.

Club's student art contest entries captivate judges

Special to the Town Crier

Open space district opens its doors to their daughters

For the first time, the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is participating in the "Take Our Daughters to Work Day" Thursday.The objective of this day is to focus on girls' ideas, needs, and dreams to help ensure that girls remain confident, strong, and in school throughout their teen years. This also allows the girls to see that they are not limited in their career choices. "Take Our Daughters to Work Day" was started in 1993 by the Ms. Foundation for Women, which expected the event to be limited to New York City. But the idea drew an enthusiastic response, and it became a national event. This year the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District wants its employees to bring their daughters, ages 9 to 17, to work on April 25. The girls will see what their parents do for a living and will be able to see other types of jobs within the district.

AAUW presents Status of Women awards

Marge Bruno and Liz Nyberg have been chosen as recipients of the 1996 Status of Women Award presented by the Los Altos-Mountain View Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). The award honors local women who have made a significant contribution to the status of women in the community.This year's recipients have been active in both the public and private sectors, and coincidentally are both members of the Los Altos/Mountain View branch. Both women were presented with their awards at the April branch board meeting.Marge Bruno served two terms on the Los Altos City Council and was mayor of Los Altos twice. She is currently active in the Los Altos Sister Cities program, currently serves as the first woman president of the Los Altos Rotary Club, and is a candidate for the Santa Clara County Valley Water District.The chapter's second honoree, Liz Nyberg, has been a member of AAUW since 1972, serving in many offices including president and Educational Foundation vice president.Nyberg, co-owner of the Los Altos Town Crier, also co-founded the Los Altos Mediation Program, serves as a Los Altos History House docent and is an active member of Los Altos Community Foundation.

A homey neighborhood, residents say about Del Monte area

Realtors call it "entry level Los Altos."The planning folks at city hall call it the "Del Monte small lot area."Residents call it homey, modest, unpretentious. They refer to their houses as cottages and those renovated as "the 'refurbed' places."Enclosed by Loucks Avenue on the north, San Antonio Road on the east, West Portola Avenue on the south and Los Altos Avenue on the west, this 1925 subdivision with Spanish-style bungalows, 1940s stucco homes and contemporary houses, includes Pasa Robles, Del Monte, Carmel and Mercedes avenues. "I like the country-ish atmosphere, from the small houses, the mature trees with nice shading that give it a lived in feeling," said resident Paul Spangler, 32, who lives on Del Monte Avenue in the house where he grew up.The neighborhood's official name is the Los Altos Park Tract, per the plot maps at city hall, but people today don't use that name."I call it (the) Paso Robles, Del Monte area," said Lois Wolcott, a realtor with Cornish & Carey and a 29-year Los Altos resident.Spangler said that when they moved into their two-bedroom one-bath home in 1963, "The house next door still had a hand pump in the kitchen."Ethel Green, a realtor with Seville Properties and a 25-year Los Altos resident, said the typical buyers for the area are "people who want to live in Los Altos and will settle for a smaller house and lot. The area is convenient and easily accessible to (Highways) 101 or 280, to shopping centers or downtown."She recently sold a house as-is, a three-bedroom one-and-a-half-bath, for $389,000. Another one, "as cute as can be," sold for $489,000. It was on a corner, fixed up, and had three bedrooms and one and a half baths.Generally prices for the area are in the mid-$400,000 range, but homes have sold "as high as the eights," Green said.Ben Whitney bought his house on Del Monte in 1964. He'd been down Paso Robles Avenue and said he thought, "man, I'd like to live in this neighborhood. It looks like a homey neighborhood."When he, his wife and two teen-age children moved into their house, "Some of the homes were rentals and hell was being raised. I wasn't sure at first that we'd made a good choice."Now, he said, "we'll probably live out our days here. Where would we go?"Joyce Lekas has lived on Del Monte Avenue for eight years."That makes me a newcomer," she said. Her house was built in 1910 or 1915, she isn't sure, and she's fixed it up."I didn't make it huge. I made it modern," Lekas said.She likes her neighborhood because "it's very mixed ¯ the ages of the residents, the types of houses."Her new neighbor Dan Tran is remodeling his house, and when he wanted to build a three-car garage, neighbors were not happy."Most of the houses are small. The big objection (to Tran's plans) was that it was not consistent with the neighborhood." Tran worked with his neighbors, changed his plans, and now is building just a two-car garage.Lekas said people walk and check out each other's gardens and swap tips and clippings. Her Del Monte neighbors, she said, "they're just nice. Everybody drives very slowly. Even the cats get up slowly."

Storage of water a difficult but important task

This is the third article in a series which will help you to get prepared for a major emergency, such as an earthquake.The task for this week is arguably the most important task you can perform when preparing for an emergency: storage of water. A person can survive a long time without food buy only a few days without water. Because the normal water supply may be contaminated or shut off, you must store water for your family (including pets). You should set aside a one week supply of water. A good rule of thumb is to store one gallon of water per person per day. Therefore, you will want to store at least seven gallons of water for each person and pet in your family.Water should be stored in sturdy opaque plastic bottles. You can purchase water storage containers from hardware stores, marine supplies, sporting goods and camping equipment outlets, surplus stores, or disaster preparedness centers (see Earthquake Products & Services in the Yellow Pages). Or you can use containers you may already have around the house. Bleach bottles are excellent for storing water. However do not use milk or soft drink bottles. It is much too difficult to remove the milk bacteria from milk containers or the sugar from the soda bottles.Store the water containers in the household emergency storage container and a small amount of water should be stored in each vehicle.The task for this week is to store seven gallons of water for each person and pet in your family. Although this is a big task, it is extremely important. Don't forget to count the water stored in your water heater - but not in hot tubs and swimming pool. If you have any questions, please refer to page 11 of your copy of the Los Altos Emergency Preparedness Manual. for more information, or leave a message for the VEGA volunteer on the Los Altos city voice mail system (948-1491, ext. 488). One of the volunteers on the Los Altos Emergency Preparedness Committee will get into contact with you to answer your questions.

Local artist exhibits in Town Hall chamber

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.

Service

Navy Ensign Mark W. Warren, son of William H. and Gretch G. Warren of Los Altos Hills, is in the western Pacific Ocean near the island of Taiwan with Strike Fighter Squadron 147 embarked aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.

Schools

Local teams score at top in state math competition

The MATHCOUNTS competitors representing Blach and Egan Intermediate schools finished in the top quarter of the 78 teams that competed in the state finals on March 9 at the University of California at Davis.Blach finished one point ahead of Egan out of 66 total points. Blach placed 16th and Egan placed 21st. Since the scores included fractions of points, there were several teams in between the two schools. The Blach team roster included Brian Love, Wesley Battle, Pearl Chang and Erica Dunkle.The Egan team consisted of Michael Seeman, Nikhil Gheewala, Alexander Chu and Chris Lin.The first part of the test had the competitors complete 30 questions in 40 minutes without the aid of a calculator. The next part allowed the use of calculators in solving harder problems with more time to complete the section. The final round involved team problem solving. Love competed in the countdown round, a "Jeopardy" style competition, open to the top 16 individual scores.The team coaches were Marron Honigman, math teacher at Blach and Nancy Seeman, parent volunteer at Egan.MATHCOUNTS is a nationwide coaching program and series of competitions designed to stimulate student interest and achievement in math. The program, sponsored by the National Society of Professional Engineers, Texas Instruments, IBM and Lockheed, is "committed to helping develop a technically literate population essential to U.S. global competitiveness," according to the group's literature.

Foothill recycling program exceeds state goals, officials say

Special to the Town Crier

Blach, Egan scores up in math, down in reading

Los Altos students continue to score well above other students in math statewide, while reading scores dropped, based on recent test results among students at Blach and Egan intermediate schools.Dick Liewer, Los Altos School District assistant superintendent of curriculum, said seventh grade students take the California Achievement Test and the eighth grade students take the Golden State Examination. Seventh grade students took the California Achievement Test last October.This year, composite district scores in reading dropped two national percentile points while language usage improved by one point and mathematics improved by two points. The total battery improved over 1994 by one national percentile point. These two-year differences are considered statistically insignificant, Liewer said.District officials said reading scores at Egan were slightly depressed this year because, in comparison with 1994, more English as a second language (ESL) children took the CAT5 test. ESL test-takers at Egan increased from eight in 1994 to 22 in 1995, with larger numbers of ESL children scoring lower in reading comprehension.In May 1995, 178 Blach and Egan students took the Golden State Examination for Algebra I. Total Blach students tested were 77, of which 38 received high honors, 15 received honors and 11 received a special school recognition. At Egan, 101 students were tested and 18 of those received high honors, 25 received honors, and 19 received special school recognition.

FUHSD teachers urge community to get involved in contract negotiations

The Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD) teachers will address community residents and civic and business leaders on the status of 1996 contract negotiations at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Elk's Club, 375 N. Pastoria Ave., Sunnyvale.The teachers are holding this meeting to ask for support in urging the FUHSD school board to negotiate a timely, fair, yet fiscally responsible contract settlement.After several months of trying to negotiate a contract settlement, the teachers of FUHSD are turning to the community for support in urging the school board to negotiate a fair contract. To date, FUHSD teachers have offered 11 counter proposals to the district's initial proposal. District representatives have indicated their desire to delay negotiations until next year. Teachers believe this action will place students in educational jeopardy, as interruptions to school schedules are likely without contract negotiation resolution. FUHSD educates 8,000 high school students living in Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Santa Clara, Saratoga, San Jose and Los Altos. The district has a long history of academic excellence. But, teachers are having trouble maintaining adequate salary levels and nearly two-thirds of the 391 high school teachers in the district are nearing retirement.For more information, call Susan Walker, media contact, at 328-5555, ext. 119.

LAHS student-of-the-month sings his success

Singing the sweet tune of success, Los Altos High School senior Scott Six has used his musical talents and his academic skills to receive the award of district student of the month.His music participation at LAHS began as an eighth grader when he played before school with the jazz band. During this school year he has served as drum major of the school marching band after serving as assistant drum major in his sophomore and junior years. Six played the tuba in the school's marching band for three years and the trombone for seven years. He is also a member of the LAHS wind ensemble.Six has sung as a tenor with the Main Street Singers for three years. During his spring break, April 15 to April 21, he performed with the group in Lima, Peru. At LAHS, Six has been a member of Concert Choir, Varsity Men's Glee and Choral Union since his freshman year.A diverse musical talent, Six was the assistant musical director for the school production of "Pippin." For the past 13 years he has been taking private piano lessons and is now taking voice lessons. Outside of school, Six has participated in the "Spirit of Sunnyvale Marching Youth Band" for the past two years. In recognition of his talents in and contributions to music, he has been awarded the 1996 plaque for fine arts by the Los Altos branches of Bank of America.Opportunities for the future are many for Six. He has received early admission and a scholarship to Indiana University where he plans to major in vocal performance. With a little luck, and a lot of talent, he hopes for a career in vocal performance.

St. Simon student freezes time with her voice

Here's a voice you just might recognize.Brianna Dougherty, a third grade student a St. Simon Catholic School in Los Altos, is featured as the voice of ORB Solutions' "Talking Clock." The Mountain View-based company develops corporate World Wide Web sites, and engineered "the clock" as part of their own home page to showcase their audio capabilities. ORB Solutions selected Dougherty as the voice because of her enthusiasm for the Internet and to make it available as a fun, "kid-friendly" web page.The feature, "Talking Clock," is similar to calling for the time on the telephone. When the "Talking Clock" web page is accessed, the time appears on the screen with Dougherty's voice telling you the exact time (Pacific Standard Time). Company officials said the site has been "hit" by more than 30 different countries.When asked her opinion of the Internet, Dougherty said, "I think it's neat because it has a lot of interesting things and it's fun to look at."To see and hear a demonstration of the "Talking Clock," go to: http://www.orbsol.com/orb/cgi-bin/talking clock.

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

Local students take awards at science and engineering fair

What does a model of an electronic neuron, a radio controlled car engine and a square wave have in common?They are all subjects for projects designed by local students who won awards at the 36th annual Santa Clara Valley Science and Engineering Fair March 25 at the San Jose Convention Center.Daniel Burwen, a junior at Mountain View High School, received an honorable mention and a certificate of achievement from the U.S. Army for his project titled, "What Would Make the Ideal Radio Controlled Car Battery?""I tested different radio controlled car batteries to find out which one was the best type for the car," Burwen said. "I take an engineering tech course over at Paly (Palo Alto High School) and this project was an assignment from that class."This was his first time competing in the fair. "Now that I know how the fair works, I will do it again," Burwen said. He felt his project was too specific and not general enough, like some of the other projects that won at the fair.Along with Burwen, a pair of brothers also received awards at the fair. Frederick Alex Ware received first place for the best interdisciplinary exhibit award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and a certificate of achievement from NASA/Ames Research for his project titled, "Electronic Neuron Model.""I made a neuron network out of electronic components," Ware said. "It was an electronic component representation of an eyeball with several neurons hooked up together. I would shine a light on it to demonstrate the model."Ware, a freshman at Los Altos High School, has worked with electronics before and both his parents work for a computer company called Rambus, Inc. in Mountain View."I had scholarship offerings for when I become a sophomore from various corporations at the fair," he said.His younger brother Matt, a seventh grade student at Egan Intermediate School, received a United States Air Force Certification Medallion for his project titled "Components of a Square Wave." This project uses an OHM meter to show the components.The students received their awards at a ceremony on April 6 at West Valley College in Saratoga.

Noteworthies

Speech qualifiersSeveral outstanding Homestead High School students qualified for the State Speech Tournaments to be held at the Santa Clara University from May 3-5. The qualifying students are: Lam Nguyen, Keith Palfin, Mike Myers, Ken Chen, Ben Tao, and Chethan Ramachandran.

Los Altos Rotary Club initiates Partners In Education tutoring program

Special to the Town Crier

School Briefs

Open Gym on Saturday's changes locationMountain View Recreation is offering Saturday night drop-in open gym activities for students who are Mountain View residents and students who attend school in the Whisman and Mountain View School Districts and the Mountain View-Los Altos High School District. Open Gym will change locations beginning May 4: the Whisman Sports Center will host students 11 to 14 years old on Saturday nights from 7 to 10 p.m. Recreation staff supervised activities include basketball, three-on-three tournaments, board games, indoor soccer and other gym sports. There is no fee to participate in this program.

Plenty of scholarships available ¯ if you know where to look

Most students and parents think that scholarships are only for students who have astounding academic or athletic skills or low-income families, but that is not always the case.Most students will go the traditional paths of relying on federal, state and college financial aid and loans. But students continue to get frustrated as pay back rates and red tape keep increasing. Most are unaware that more than $10 billion is available to students from private sector scholarships. There are also more than 375,000 scholarship and grant sources available which do not have to be paid back. This is according to the U.S. Channel of Commerce for Higher Education and the National Academic Funding Administration (NAFA).The agency also notes more than 80 percent of these scholarships do not depend on family need or exceptional grades but are awarded based on factors such as the student's interests, hobbies, academic focus, age, heritage or parent's work or military service.A U.S. Congressional study reported more than $6.6 billion of private sector financial aid went unused because parents and students did not know where to apply. Also, the National Commission on Student Financial Aid reported more than $6 billion of funding goes uncollected each year because students do not apply for it. There are ways that students can receive information for scholarships ranging from left-handed scholarships and handicapped student scholarships to members of church scholarships and even David Letterman's Scholars.American Educational Excellence (AEE) members have a list of more than 400 different addresses, telephone numbers, application deadlines, summaries about the scholarships and the amount the scholarship will pay the student. Many scholarships pay the entire tuition. Otherwise, students combine applicable scholarships together to form one large tuition payment. Most scholarships include junior and community colleges, such as De Anza or Foothill colleges, career and vocational schools, four-year colleges, graduate schools and medical law schools. For information on how to receive academic funding and scholarships, send a self-addressed stamped envelope and $1 handling fee to U.S. Channel of Commerce for Higher Education, P.O. Box 127, Rule Texas 79547, or send a No. 10 self-addressed double stamped business envelope plus a $2 handling fee to NAFA, 815 Middle St., Suite 1400, Portsmouth, N.H. 03801.

Sports

Prep gymnastics

Town Crier Sports Editor

Mayon barrels down mountain, and onto Junior Olympic team

Town Crier Sports Editor

Scores

April 18TennisSt. Francis 7, Riordan 0SF (10-2 league) winners: singles - Stoelker (6-2, 6-2), Guerry (6-3, 6-3), Rosenthal (6-3, 6-4), Tsai (6-2, 6-0), Popek (6-2, 6-2), Reis (6-0, 6-1); doubles - Ma-Cullison (6-0, 6-1)

Prep baseball

Special to the Town Crier

Los Altos alumni up to bat May 11

Sports Shorts

MORE KICKS: Los Altos High soccer player Kasey Clark recently helped her Sunnyvale '78 Roadrunners club team reach the State Cup semifinals with wins over NorCal United (1-0) and La Morinda United (2-1). Clark was in on all the goals, scoring one and setting up the other two ­ head-shot netters off corner kicks. If the girls win their upcoming match in Morgan Hill, they'll head on to Livermore for the final.

Prep softball & Water Polo

Town Crier Sports Editor

Sports Calendar

Track & FieldBoys and girls: Los Gatos at St. Francis, 3:15 p.m.

Prep tennis

Special to the Town Crier

Graham bombs Kennedy for girls basketball title

The best-ever seventh-grade girls basketball team from Graham Middle School in Mountain View fought its way to the Valley Athletic League championship on April 4. Supported by cheering students, parents, teachers and administrators, the girls crushed an outstanding Kennedy team, 40-24, to net the title.After only one day of preseason practice, Graham lost its first game, but then marched through its next 10 opponents without a loss. The Lady Bears' trademark was an unrelenting full-court, man-to-man defense, which stifled, frustrated and exhausted other teams and left them dispirited, gasping for air and calling time outs. Always outsized physically, but never outquicked or outplayed, Graham had more fight, more toughness and more heart.Leading the team were its "Fabulous Five" starters: point guard Sebnem Kimyacioglu, wingers Forescee Nickson and Elisa Barrios, small forward Janae Hearron and power forward Jennifer Williams.And providing great bench support were "Supersubs" Kristen Pritchard, Nicole Hill, Erin Abrahams, Desirae Gines, Tala Orngard, Crystal Pettway, Charm Moreno and Josie Rivera.These mighty Bears plan a return trip to the same lofty position next year. In the words of a yell that the team used after the championship: "Graham is a bomb, you know!"

Business & Real Estate

Real estate recovering in the 2nd quarter of 1996

The real estate recovery is for real. Fueled by low interest rates and increased consumer confidence, Bay Area residential real estate sales during the second quarter of 1996 are expected to continue the upward momentum of the first quarter, emerging from the depressed market of 1995.According to Larry Knapp, president and CEO of Coldwell Banker Northern California, the market ignited in February, as sales of existing homes in California jumped nearly 25 percent during February 1996 compared to a year ago. Many Bay Area communities in the South Bay and Peninsula are leading the state out of a six-year real estate slump according to statistics kept by Coldwell Banker. This is due to initial public offerings of high-tech stocks, recent successes of high-tech and Internet related companies and the emergence of San Francisco as the financial center of California. Knapp also pointed to the aging Bay Area baby boomers who are responding to an improving economy with fewer concerns about job security and a greater interest in purchasing their "ultimate home" during their peak earning years. "In this post-recessionary market, the adage of "location, location, location" being a primary concern is still accurate," Knapp said. "The least expensive home in an area that is consistently in demand is still an excellent investment."According to Alain Pinel, senior vice president and West Bay regional manager for Coldwell Banker, there is significant demand for housing, particularly in the uppermost price ranges. "Early 1996 we observed a shortage of inventory and a huge wave of demand. Sellers have been waiting for years for the market to change. It is now healthy and getting healthier."Pinel sees strength in the Palo Alto, Woodside and Los Altos areas and particularly in Saratoga. As an additional item, Pinel said homes in the upper prices of Monterey County's Pebble Beach are also moving swiftly, often with buyers hailing from the Bay Area. "Internet will also play a bigger part in the real estate industry," Pinel said. "We now have the power to open the local market to the world, which is especially fortunate considering that a greater percentage of buyers are coming from afar."

Real Estate Briefs

Next Chamber mixer at Loyola Corners May 1

The public is invited to attend the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce Community Mixer from 5:30 to 7 p.m. May 1 at the Loyola Corners shopping area.Complimentary food and beverages will be provided by members of the Loyola Corner's Business Improvement District. A door prize will be announced at 6:45 p.m. A one dollar donation to the Chamber of Commerce will give participants a chance to win a vacation to the Club Regina at the Westin Hotel and Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico. The May 1 mixer will be the last chance to enter the drawing before the trip is awarded at the season opening of the Farmers Market May 4. Additional door prizes will be awarded at the mixer. A new "Historic Loyola Corners Community Award" will be presented to Kathy and Mark Asplund for their part in forming the Loyola Corners Business Improvement District in 1991. A representation of a Southern Pacific train, similar to those that ran through Loyola Corners, will be included on the plaque. In keeping with the Mexican theme of the trip giveaway and Cinco de Mayo, Mexican food and beer will be served by J. P. Liquors, Loyola Meat & Deli and the new Tom's Depot Grill. Loyola Corners is located near Foothill Expressway and Miramonte Avenue in Los Altos.

Chamber debates location of proposed restaurant

In response to complaints about the downtown location of the Koo Koo Roo Restaurant project, a joint meeting was held last Thursday between members of the Board of the Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber's Economic Development Committee.After lengthy discussion, board member Joe Leal made a motion that the Chamber should support the economic growth of the city and therefore, support the Koo Koo Roo restaurant application. He added, however, that the city should be concerned with congestion at Second and Main streets, especially to parking and traffic problems the restaurant will create. Since it was not an official meeting, the vote taken, 8-3 in favor of the motion, was just a straw vote. The meeting opened with an impassioned explanation by Kent Nelson, a co-owner of Los Altos Pharmacy with his brother Bart, that the pharmacy has been in town for 61 years, but their profit margins are down."We have all kinds of offers to buy the pharmacy, but we want to stay here," Kent Nelson said. "Our new-look pharmacy will take on more walkers, wheelchairs, hospice and a diabetes type of pharmacy. In my father's era, he had a soda fountain so we looked at a restaurant."Koo Koo Roo is a Beverly Hills-based company with 19 locations nationally. The chain plans to open 30 more outlets this year, including three, counting the Los Altos site, in Northern California.In response to the idea of another food vendor coming to the corner of Main and Second streets, Roger Brunello, owner of Le Boulanger, said the corner doesn't need more traffic. "We built a busy corner with congestion on the sidewalk. We have animal congestion and the garbage is immense and the last thing we need is another food outlet. We need a high-end retailer that has off-hours traffic."Jim Reynolds, past president of the Chamber of Commerce, said "I am opposed to talk against any business. As a Chamber, we should be for business. This is a sensitive situation for the Chamber, and it should be more of a government regulation problem." The project will be reviewed by the city's architectural and site committee April 24.After that it goes to the planning commission May 9 and then to the Los Altos City Council for a use permit next month.sion will be made on the Koo Koo Roo restaurant proposal.

EXPO '96 Trade Fair in Hillview Center Thursday

Business Briefs

Farmers Market at Loyola CornersThe eighth season of Loyola Corners certified farmers market is from 8:30 a.m. to noon on May 4.About three dozen farmers from throughout California will display, sample and sell their produce. The folk music of Guliver Spring will be featured during the market opening.. A "Stroll to Market" with turn-of-the-century high wheel bicycles will arrive about 10 a.m. following their ride from the Los Altos History House.Loyola Corners Farmers Market is located on the Bank of America parking lot, across the street from the Beacon service stations, near Foothill Expressway and Miramonte Avenue in Los Altos. The Market will continue every Saturday morning through Nov. 23.

Weekly Special

Recipe Of The Week

(Makes 38 cookies)1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon margarine, softened2/3 cup sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract2 egg whites1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour1/2 cup cornstarch1/4 cup ground blanched almonds1 teaspoon baking powderVegetable cooking spray1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons seedless red raspberry jam2 tablespoons powder sugarMethod:Beat margarine and 2/3 cups sugar at medium speed of an electric mixer until blended. Add vanilla and egg whites; beat well.Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to margarine mixture, mixing well.Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Press each into a 4-inch circle on plastic wrap; cover with additional plastic wrap. Freeze 1 hour. Roll dough, covered, to 1/8-inch thickness. Freeze 5 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed; remove wrap. Cut dough with a 2 1/2-inch scalloped cutter. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets coated with cooking spray. Cut centers from half of cookies with a 1/2-inch round cutter. Bake at 350º for 8 minutes. Cool on wire racks.Spread 1/2 teaspoon jam on flat slices of solid cookies; top with cutout cookies. Sift powdered sugar over cookies.

Organic Produce Is Better?

In general, organic produce is grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. But because organic farming methods are not regulated in every state, not all organic produce is truly organic. It's important to keep in mind, however, that chemical pesticide use is federally regulated. For this reason, it is unlikely that produce grown using such pesticides is dangerous to eat. But it may be important to you to have fewer chemicals in your diet. If so, you may wish to switch to organic foods.

Obituaries

Araxe Apcar, a resident of Los Altos since October 1946, died in the Masonic Home for Adults in Union City, April 12. She was 95.

Weddings

Elizabeth Ann King and Eric Charles Hager were married March 2 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Palo Alto. The bride is the daughter of M. Gary King of Cincinnati, Ohio and Elizabeth Britten Nilson of Los Altos. She is a graduate of Wyoming High School in Cincinnati and Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She is employed as a unit assistant at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Santa Clara.The groom is the son of James and Margaret Hager of Palo Alto. He is a graduate of Palo Alto High School and California State University at Hayward. He is the manager of Palo Alto Toy and Sport Shop. The couple live in Cupertino.