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Published on 11/24/1997 All articles from this issue

Pages of the Past

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25 years ago in the Town Crier

The Nov. 29, 1972, issue of the Town Crier was an anniversary salute to the city of Los Altos, incorporated 20 years earlier on Dec. 1, 1952. The Town Crier rang its own bell, too, "humbly calling attention" to the fact that it was its 25th anniversary,

On Nov. 29 at a town meeting at the Youth Center heralding the town's birthday, former mayors and planning commissioners led a discussion on "What do you want your city to be in the next 20 years."

A community-wide banquet on Nov. 30 at the Los Altos Golf & Country Club, termed "a fun evening," climaxed the festivities.

Christmas lighting in downtown Los Altos was turned on two weeks earlier than usual in honor of the city's celebration of its 20th anniversary of incorporation. Traditionally, the lights had not been turned on until Thanksgiving eve. Expenses for the lighting were paid entirely through voluntary contributions from downtown merchants.

For the 1972 Thanksgiving menu, local markets highlighted fresh hen turkeys at 55 cents a pound, cranberries at 25 cents a pound, red yams at 2 pounds for 29 cents and frozen pumpkin pie at 89 cents each.

50 years ago in the Los Altos News

According to the Nov. 27, 1947, issue of the Los Altos News, articles of incorporation filed with the state by the Los Altos Citizens Association were accepted and "Inc." was officially added to the association's name.

The 23 members of the association's board of directors then met on Dec. 1, 1947, and elected George Keith to serve as president, Guy V. Shoup as vice president, George B. English as treasurer and S.W. Treat as secretary. As the bylaws were to be changed, the new officers were elected to serve only until March 1948.

There was just one type of membership in the civic organization. It carried an annual fee of one dollar which, it was hoped, would encourage membership by all eligible Los Altos residents.

The Citizens Association learned that 304 residents had returned the ballots published for them by the Los Altos News on Nov. 20, 1947. Of that number, 263 were opposed to joining the county master sewage disposal plan.

Work was underway on the construction of a new store building on Main Street that would house three store spaces. Owners were Alan Cranston and Eleanor Fowle.

- Ellen Shaw of the Los Altos History House Association