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Volume 50, Number 33, Published on 08/18/1997

News

Those who've done it say know your interests

Town Crier Staff Writer

Four file for 2 Los Altos council seats

By the Aug. 13 deadline, four Los Altos residents filed as candidates for the two seats on the city council that will be decided during the Nov. 4 election: King Lear, John Moss, Steven Smiley and incumbent Patricia Williams.

Hospital to retain dialysis units in surprise decision

Although a letter of intent was signed by all parties to divest the dialysis equipment at the three El Camino Hospital sites, the hospital district's board of directors unanimously agreed last week to keep the units.

Local mom saves son in near drowning

Town Crier Staff Writer

Purissima Hills Water District mulls purchase offer from Cal Water Co.

For the last two months, California Water Company has quietly made overtures to purchase the 40-year-old Purissima Hills Water District. Those overtures culminated in the Purissima district's Aug. 13 meeting, when board members reviewed Cal Water's formal proposal.

Megan's Law update: August appointment book full to view list of sex offenders

nce the CD-ROM directory of nearly 64,000 California sex offenders was available for viewing in Los Altos beginning July 31, residents wasted no time calling and scheduling appointments.

Comment

And here's your free gift

A View from the Hills

Letters to the Editor

"NO DUMPING FLOWS TO BAY." That's the sign stenciled above the storm drains at the end of our street. That's the message of the flier mailed to our house this week by the city engineering division.

Community

Los Altos Weather

Pages of the Past

The Aug. 23, 1972, issue of the Town Crier reported that Steve and Peter Eckert, 7- and 5-years-old Los Altos apprentice gardeners, had lavished tender loving care all the summer months of 1972 on sunflower plants in front of their home on Ben Roe Avenue.

Welfare reform subject of League-AAUW forum Sept. 10

The Leagues of Women Voters of Palo Alto and Los Altos-Mountain View, along with the American Association of University Women, Palo Alto chapter, will host a panel of experts Sept. 10 in Palo Alto to discuss welfare reform and its impact on Santa Clara County.

Toni Casey: the outspoken mayor in Los Altos Hills

Town Crier Staff Writer

Noteworthies

Vermeer, a captain in the Redwood City Police Department, attended the 11-week course of advanced investigative, management and fitness training. The program is for selected executives with a proven record as a professional within his or her agency.

New director puts fresh life in the senior center

The Los Altos Senior Center has lost more than 40 members over the past couple of years. Babe Poe wants to change that.

New volunteer docents needed at History House

Do you remember when the only "chips" in the Valley were chocolate? Are you interested in the history of Los Altos? Then you are an ideal candidate for becoming a History House docent.

Library News

The deadline for the digital art exhibit to be featured in the Los Altos Library has been extended to Aug. 31. The on-line digital art exhibit will be displayed Sept. 8 to Nov. 7.

Full post-fall recovery expected for injured St. Nicholas priest

The Rev. Gary Thomas of St. Nicholas Catholic Church is anticipating a full recovery from injuries sustained in a hiking accident July 29.

Community Briefs

Leadership Education Advancement, a community involvement education course sponsored by the Los Altos Community Foundation, is accepting applications for its third annual information series. The six-month course, beginning Sept. 16, is aimed at residents in Los Altos in their 30s and 40s who are interested in getting involved but don't know how to get started.

Los Altos Fall Festival to feature classic cars Oct. 4-5

The Los Altos Chamber of Commerce Fall Festival will feature its annual classic car show for the Oct. 4-5 festival.

Almanac

Los Altos Architecturral and Site Control Committee, 4 p.m., City Hall.

Schools

Stanford student talks philosophy to LAHS students

At a time when most graduate students are busy writing dissertations, Stanford student Rob Reich has decided to teach a self-tailored philosophy class at Los Altos High School - free of charge.

Six toss names into hat for LASD board of trustees

Six Los Altos residents have filed as candidates for the four seats on the Los Altos School Board of Trustees.

Neighbors vent frustration over field policy

Los Altos School District board members postponed approving any guidelines which would set usage limitations on school playing fields at the Aug. 11 district meeting after a group of school neighbors vented their frustrations about the proposed policy.

Sports

Sports On The Side

TRACK TRIBUTES: Three Los Altos residents performed admirably in the National Masters Outdoor Track and Field Championships, held Aug. 7-10 at San Jose City College. Payton Jordan (who's featured in this issue) won the 100 and 200 meters in the men's 80-84 age division. Bob Anderson placed fourth in the 1,000 meters (men's 50-54 division) and David Johnston took sixth in the pole vault (men's 50-55 division).

This Week in Sports

Major League Baseball:

Payton Jordan enjoys life on the run

Town Crier Staff Writer

Los Altos nets a title

The Los Altos Tennis Team will rule the Bay Area for at least one more year.

Scoring woes plague area water polo team

Like a lot of travelers, the Stanford Under-17 boys' water polo team forgot to pack an essential item for a recent trip to Southern California.

Foreign players overwhelm locals at tennis tourney

Local tennis players June Lee and sisters Lauren and Tracy Cheung did just fine against American competition last week at the Alpine Hills Junior Fall Classic. It was those pesky foreign players that gave them trouble.

Business & Real Estate

What to do with pessimists in the work place

Jean on the Job

Gateway Building opens with attractive offices

It's a noticeable difference between the former McElroy Lumber Co. and its piles of wood on the corner lot of San Antonio Road and First Street, and the new Gateway Building now standing in its place.

Los Altos mortgage firm goes 'OnLine'

Town Crier Staff Writer

City of Los Altos wins coveted business award

Taking Care of Business

Los Altos home prices going up, up, up

Area median prices may be highest in nation

Transactions

Cupertino

Realtors say too much money is spent on title insurance

The California Association of Realtors (CAR) is supporting Senate Bill 319, designed to provide relief to home buyers and home owners who refinance their property. Sponsored by Senator John Burton, D-San Francisco, SB319 would allow buyers to "assume" or take over the benefit of title coverage already paid for by the previous owner.

Hewlett-Packard Company stock falls after earnings announcement

Since 1994, the stock market has zipped along and price-earnings (P/E) ratios have risen to unprecedented levels. There are still companies where P/Es are still in line with growth. One company is Hewlett-Packard (HWP), with a P/E of 19. H-P is a Town Crier Stock Index company.

Weekly Special

Anniversaries

Stewart and Doris Holt celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a July 11-13 family reunion at the Monterey Dunes Colony. Joining them were children Cherry Amabisca of Portland, Ore., with her husband Allen and two daughters; Doug of Danville, Calif. and his daughter; Carol Lacey of Houston, with her husband Don and two sons; and Steven of Antioch, Calif.

Obituaries

David James Thomas, a captain in the infantry during World War II and later a partner in the accounting firm Prior & McClellan, died of heart failure July 17 while visiting relatives in Lake Stevens, Wash. A 45-year Los Altos resident, he was 80 years old.

Births

A son, Colin Bartlett Blackie, was born July 1 to San Jose residents Belinda and Peter Blackie. The baby's grandparents, John and Patricia Blackie, are Los Altos residents and the baby's father, Peter, grew up in Los Altos.

Interfaith Partners: 'A circle of caring'

Town Crier Staff Writer

Held back by hidden anchors

Companion on the Journey

Jesuit House retreat for children of alcoholics

For more information, call 948-4491.

Dessert can only mean one thing - cheesecake

Town Crier Food & Wine Editor

Recipe of the Week

Makes 4 to 5 servings

Brown bag tastings can be intimidating

I have conducted and participated in many blind, brown bag tastings over the years. They can be intimidating if you are put on the spot to accurately identify what you are drinking. These tastings, however, can be a lot of fun if approached in the correct manner. Everyone should know from the outset that this is not a test. Your level of expertise is not important and only group results are important, not individual scores.

Another busy, successful season for Bus Barn

Town Crier Staff Writer

Town Crier 50th anniversary quiz #4: It's time to test your 1947 IQ

The Town Crier was born in the period of post-World War II optimism. The Cold War had not yet begun, the Baby Boom was under way and the modernization that had been stalled during the war effort resumed full tilt. The world 50 years ago this year was full of historic events. How many can you recall? Click here for answers.

Answers to Town Crier 50th anniversary quiz #4

1) d; The Los Altos News

Los Altos in the '60s: Build out means growing pains

Town Crier Staff Writer

Town Crier typesetting techniques

Town Crier: 50 years

Town Crier 50th Anniversary Events

Mark your calendars for Oct. 4 when the Anniversary Follies pokes fun at our foibles.

West Bay set to present 'Don Pasquale'

Palo Alto-based West Bay Opera begins its 42nd season with performances of "Don Pasquale," beginning Oct. 10 at Lucie Stern Theatre. The production is sponsored in part by the Los Altos Town Crier.

Skin cancer screening

A dermatologist will conduct screenings for possible cancerous lesions or conditions.

He's all heart: LAH resident No. 1 cardiologist in U.S.

Town Crier Staff Writer

Essential oils stimulate, soothe in aromatherapy

Business Profile

'Edna and Sue'

Special to the Town Crier

A doctor's perspective on the diet pill scare

You've probably seen the news reports about the alleged dangers of such prescription diet medications as phen-fen and Redux.

Celebrating a recovery from breast cancer

Cynthia Bowden knows how to celebrate. After a lumpectomy in her left breast in April, followed by 28 radiation treatments and then a radium implant in June, this 77-year-old longtime Los Altos resident planned a party.

Lifesaving hepatitis B vaccine added to back-to-school immunizations

This year, California schools added the hepatitis B vaccine to the list of back-to-school immunizations. Children entering kindergarten are now required to have the first dose of the vaccine and have plans to complete the series within six months.

Wide variety of support groups

Some groups meet weekly, some meet twice a month and others are monthly gatherings. The support groups are usually free. for more information, call 940-7070.

Health Briefs

El Camino Hospital in Mountain View offers a series of four presentations as part of its chemical dependency services. Each is offered more than one time, all are from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday nights. "What is the impact on the family?" will be offered tomorrow night; "A video presentation," Aug. 28; "What can be done?" Sept. 4; "What is chemical dependency?" Sept. 11.

Healthier lifestyle eight-week course

The class will emphasize weight reduction through changes in exercise and dietary habits. It will be held at the PAMF Auditorium, 920 Bryant St., Palo Alto.