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Volume 52, Number 53, Published on 12/22/1999

News

Scenes of the holidays

At no time does Los Altos better display its small-town flavor than during the holiday season. From the Festival of Lights Parade right after Thanksgiving, to visits from Santa at Rancho Shopping Center right through Christmas Eve, Los Altos is filled with familiar holiday images. Town Crier photographer Monique Schoenfeld captures some of these images in a special photo essay for this issue, such as a bellringer from the Los Altos Rotary Club, carriage rides downtown and the canned food drive for the Community Services Agency.

Man suspected of assaulting women remains at large

Mountain View and Palo Alto police are warning residents of a man suspected of assaulting women with a knife in Mountain View and Palo Alto over the past 10 months.

LAH could dump extra garbage fee

Town roundup

News Briefs

Local speedsters beware. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors has approved a request from the California Highway Patrol to use radar to enforce the speed limit on Mora Drive between Eastbrook Avenue and Terrace Drive in unincorporated Santa Clara County. The posted speed limit on this stretch of road is 25 mph.

Los Altos City Council goes ahead with budgeting economic development position

The Los Altos City Council repealed an eleventh-hour emergency action on Dec. 14 that it had passed last month. The emergency action required the city manager to seek council approval before filling any vacant position in the city work force. Now the city has the go-ahead to hire an economic development coordinator - a position local business owners say could revitalize downtown.

Crackdown on drunk drivers in effect through 'Avoid the 13' patrols

Los Altos police officers have joined together with colleagues throughout Santa Clara County for the annual 17-day "Avoid the 13" holiday crackdown on drunk drivers, which began last Friday.

Los Altos raises speed limit, hopes to ticket more speeders

Alocal speed limit just went up in Los Altos. At its Dec. 14 meeting, the Los Altos City Council agreed to raise the speed limit on Springer Road from 25 mph to 30 mph - a change necessary in order to lower the average speed of motorists who use the street, according to city officials.

Comment

Connecting with needy fills holiday need

There are plenty of reasons to feel good about the holidays. We feel the best reason is knowing you have done your part helping someone less fortunate. Thousands of you have donated through the many toy and food drives, or have volunteered at a charitable agency.

Internet, Internet, clicking all the way

Blue Jeans & Jelly Beans

Letters to the Editor

The Town Crier and the rest of the local in-crowd are piqued at the uppity voters for defeating their proposed tax increase, so they're telling whoppers about it. Examples:

Community

LA foundation reports doubling of gifts in 1999

Special to the Town Crier

Supervisor describes Kosovo conditions

Special to the Town Crier

Another sold out crowd for 'Breakfast with Santa' at Joccos

Special to the Town Crier

Almanac

Los Altos Senior Center reopens, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, 97 Hillview Ave.

Christmas comes early for woman who lost bracelet

Special to the Town Crier

Arthur Fowle's contribution led to Civic Center land

E. O. Huttlinger moved to Los Altos from New York in the 1920s because it was the only place he could afford. He recalled his early memories of Los Altos in an interview with the Historical Commission in May, 1979.

Save The Date

Winter Solstice, commonly called the first day of winter, begins. Observers estimate the full moon tonight will appear about 14 percent larger than it does at apogee (the point in its orbit that is farthest from the earth). It also is estimated that the sunlight striking the moon is about 7 percent stronger, making it appear even brighter.

Prospects for peace in Northern Ireland revealed at Los Altos Morning Forum

Special to the Town Crier

Community Briefs

Celebrate the Twelfth Day of Christmas and the end of the holiday season with Mountain View High School Madrigal and Chamber choirs. They are hosting a fundraising event, "A Twelfth Night Concert and Dessert" at 7 p.m., Jan. 6, at Los Altos United Methodist Church Creekside Room, 655 Magdalena Ave.

Police Report

Dec. 19, 11:55 a.m.: The son of an elderly woman hit her caretaker, according to police. He left on foot carrying a large stick. An arrest was made.

El Camino Hospital raises pension payments, adds employee mental health services

The El Camino Hospital board voted unanimously, at its Dec. 8 meeting, to approve pension plan increases, to decrease the malpractice liability account and to approve financing to extend a mental health assistance program. The hospital district board approved the hospital's quarterly financial report at its meeting later that evening.

Los Altos Weather

Schools

Alta Vista case management program gets ringing endorsement from state

The California School Board Association recently awarded Alta Vista High School the Golden Bell Award. The School-Based Case Management program, based at Alta Vista, was one of just seven high school programs to receive the award in the "Student Support" division.

College and career centers lessen stress of application process

College application season is under way for high school seniors everywhere, adding pressure and stress to students' lives. However, the college and career centers at Mountain View and Los Altos high schools are alleviating this stress by guiding students through the application process.

Sports

Sports On The Side

T-ball, softball and baseball sign-ups for Los Altos-Los Altos Hills and Mountain View Little Leagues are just around the corner. Los Altos registration is set for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Jan. 8 and 15, and 5-8 p.m., Jan. 12 at Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos. For more information, call Bill Hvidt at 965-4875. Mountain View registration is scheduled for 7-9 p.m., Dec. 29 at the Moffett Field Community Center and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Jan. 8 at the Rengstorff Community Center. For more information, call 961-2065.

Pinewood & St. Francis maintain perfect records

Special to the Town Crier

Lady Owls get by De Anza

Men fall in Santa Rosa

Attention coaches: Call in your scores

Please include scores, statistics, highlights and any other pertinent information.

the local sports lineup for December 22-28

HIGH SCHOOL

Lewis rising with the Crimson Tide

Here's an update on some former high school athletes from the area who are now excelling at the college level:

Lancers go cold in Amador Valley final

Mountain View

Mustangs win consolation championship

Girls Soccer

Business & Real Estate

Los Altos-based Internet firm offering free charitable greeting cards

iReachOut.com, formerly Shop4Charity.com, an online shopping and charitable-giving service that supports member-selected charities, launched a new Web site Dec. 1. It also added a new line of charitable greeting cards to its list of services.

Koo Koo Roo to cease operations in Los Altos

Special to the Town Crier

Bear or bull market? Depends where you're invested

Stock Report

Transactions

Los Altos

Don't rain on another's holiday parade

Jean on the Job

Weekly Special

Durst and Co. 'kiss-off' 1999 in Palo Alto

Will Durst and Company present "The Big-Fat, Year-End Kiss-Off Comedy Show VII" at 8 p.m., Monday at Lucie Stern Community Theater in Palo Alto.

Obituaries

Ernest Joseph Kump, the architect who designed Foothill and De Anza colleges, died Nov. 4 in Zurich, Switzerland. He was 87.

Engagement

Alette Christine Coble and Robert Charles Temple have announced their engagement and plan to be married July 8, 2000.

Western Ballet's 'Nutcracker' rivals Bay Area's best

Special to the Town Crier

Film Vitals

Special to the Town Crier