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Published on 10/05/1998 All articles from this issue

News Briefs

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City sues gas station

The city of Los Altos has filed suit against the owners of Gas-N-Save service station located on the corner of Fremont Avenue and Grant Road in south Los Altos.

The Los Altos city council denied an appeal at a June 9 meeting from the station for continuing to operate on its non conforming use permit. The station, which had been open for 32 years, then had 30 days to close.

Instead, it kept on pumping.

"The council asked me to show them we meant business," said city attorney Bob Booth.

So in late September the city filed an injunction, Booth said. "We expect them to close soon or by court order."

In the meantime, the property owner has petitioned to have the gas station land rezoned for two residential lots. That item was scheduled to be on the city council's agenda last night.

"I think they're (the station owners) waiting to see what happens" with the council meeting, Booth said.

Wells Fargo robbed during Fall Festival

The Wells Fargo Bank in downtown Los Altos on Main Street was robbed at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 3.

A large man, 6 feet and 260 pounds, dressed all in black and wearing a baseball hat and plastic-rimmed sunglasses, presented a teller with a note, said Los Altos Police Sgt. Mark Macaulay. The robber demanded money and said he had a gun. He took back the note, which he had in his day planner, scooped up "an undetermined amount of cash," and left the bank, Macaulay said. No one saw a car or could tell which way he went. He blended into the thousands of residents attending the Fall Festival. Police responded within minutes. Nobody saw anybody running from the bank, Macaulay said. He could have peeled off some clothes and changed his look, "but we didn't find anything left behind," Macaulay said.

Los Altos police have talked with the FBI, but so far there is no match, police said last week.

Cal Water won't buy Purissima Hills

Directors of the Purissima Hills Water District have decided to table a bid by California Water Service Group to purchase the district. And California Water says they will not pursue the matter.

Peter Nelson, chairman of the board of California Water, said they made a pitch for Purissima Hills but the timing was wrong.

"We made several presentations to the Purissima Hills board of directors, but it never came up for a vote," Nelson said.

Dan Alexander, president of the Purissima Hills Water District board of directors, said the board is not going to pursue a merger and will continue to table the issue if it comes up again.

"The people who buy water from us say they want to continue with Hetch Hetchy water and continue buying from us," Alexander said. Purissima Hills Water uses Hetch Hetchy Reservoir water exclusively. It is one of 30 water districts that purchases Hetch Hetchy water from San Francisco.

-Town Crier Staff Report