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Published on 07/01/1996 All articles from this issue

Reasons to feel good about Los Altos

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A Town Crier Editorial

Here we are in July - truly a feel-good time of year. The sun is out, the kids have finished school and graduates are fresh from commencement exercises, full of wide-eyed optimism as they look forward to their futures. Businesses slow down and vacations beckon.

We thought we'd break away from our usual commentary on ongoing city issues to direct our feel-good theme at our home town. What reasons are there to feel good about Los Altos? The answers are plentiful:

Great neighbors. This may go at the top of many people's lists. We find people truly enjoy their neighborhoods and their neighbors. There's no better example of this than Filip Road's Fourth of July neighborhood party that starts today. Approximately 100 residents have chosen to enjoy each other's company rather than head in separate directions for the Fourth of July weekend (See separate story in today's paper). Strong, united neighborhoods make for solid communities.

Outstanding voluntarism. Did you know that an estimated 400 volunteers will be working the 17th annual downtown Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival on July 13 and 14? That's amazing, considering the proceeds benefit a business association promoting downtown retail interests. But rampant voluntarism is everywhere, from churches and schools to the annual Festival of Lights Parade and the Los Altos History House Museum.

Quality schools. The schools are a primary selling point for local Realtors. With good reason. Los Altos School District test scores consistently rank among the highest statewide. Local high schools also are highly regarded and two - Mountain View and Los Altos high schools - stand to get much better as a five-year, $58 million facilities renovation project gets under way.

Top-notch libraries. Services also have picked up considerably in recent months, with longer hours and more staffing. More help is on the way, thanks to a grass-roots "Vision 21" fund-raising campaign that could mean another $300,000 for purchasing science and technology-based materials.

Perfect weather. It's rare to hear a complaint about the weather. In fact, we hardly ever talk about it!

There are numerous, less noticeable reasons. Los Altos remains a community where people greet strangers on the streets, even where people apologize for taking too much time to move out of a parking space.

We've only skimmed the surface. Our point is, while you're feeling good about the summer, you should feel especially good about living in Los Altos.