Let me count the ways

This Sunday, mom’s kitchen sink will be piled high with dirty dishes, the flowers in her garden will be cut at their heads and crayon-colored cards bearing best wishes will be littered throughout the house as dads and children present mom with breakfast in bed highlighted by a vase of her favorite flowers. May 11 is Mother’s Day.

And if you aren’t a mom, you definitely have one, so it’s pretty likely that you’re either the one sitting up in bed, pretending to like chocolate chips and marshmallows on burnt waffles, or one of the many men who forgot to pick up flowers at a florist and resorted to desecrating the garden.

Los Altos Hills historian Young Yu named ‘Local Hero’

Acclaimed historian Connie Young Yu of Los Altos Hills is one of five people being honored at the 11th annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Local Hero Awards ceremony 6-8:30 p.m. today at the KQED Public Broadcasting Center, located at 2601 Mariposa St. in San Francisco.

Union Bank of California, N.A., and KQED Public Broadcasting sponsor the event.

LAEF drops district deficit nearly $600K

In an effort to assuage the pain of Los Altos School District’s looming $800,000 deficit, the Los Altos Educational Foundation has pledged $1.92 million for the 2008-2009 school year and will donate additional one-time funds totaling $400,000 to the district.

Randy Kenyon, assistant superintendent for business services, reported the net impact on the bottom line would be $591,000 more than originally expected from LAEF next year, with $266,000 more from the increase in annual funding and $325,000 from the one-time gift to offset program cuts or class-size increases.

LA, LAH councils claim overcharging by county

Faced with a looming statewide budget crisis, government agencies are trying to make every penny count – sometimes at each other’s expense. The grim predictions have affected Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. Last month both cities filed a claim with the board of supervisors asserting that Santa Clara County has overcharged them, in efforts to increase revenues.

Many cities have filed similar claims, arguing that the county has assessed too large an administrative fee for distributing tax dollars to city coffers. The county collects property and sales taxes, then distributes the funds to the cities – and charges an administrative fee to do so.

Garbage rates to climb

Residential Los Altos garbage rates are set to rise 16.4 percent next month, unless thousands of residents protest in writing before a May 27 public hearing.

Assistant City Planner Jim Gustafson predicted that city staff would approve the increase. Based on state law, if 5,000 residents protest the increase, the city would have to pursue alternatives such as cutting services instead of raising costs. Gustafson reported that fewer than 100 residents had protested as of the beginning of the month.

State Senate unanimously passes local’s veterans law

Los Altos Hills resident Dr. Jerome Blum is on the brink of realizing a long-held dream as legislation he authored to benefit veterans awaits final approval in the state assembly.

Blum said he was thrilled that the California State Senate passed SB 1401, his “Helping California Veterans Get the Help They Need” bill, with a vote of 38-0 April 17.

Breaking ground at Adobe Creek

The Adobe Creek Watershed Group and the Santa Clara Valley Water District have scheduled an Adobe Creek Upper Reach 5 Restoration Project construction groundbreaking ceremony for Los Altos and Los Altos Hills residents 6-7:30 p.m. today at Edith Park in Los Altos Hills. Parking is available along Fremont Road.

The district plans to construct channel improvements and restore a portion of Adobe Creek upstream from the West Edith Avenue bridge extending downstream for approximately 1,100 feet.

Police Blotter

Family disturbance

May 4, 10:53 a.m., 1200 block of Eureka Avenue: Officer Neil Randles responded to a family disturbance. He reported that he contacted and counseled the family.

Council Brief

Fees, televising on LA council agenda

The Los Altos City Council is scheduled to discuss fees, library needs and expanded televised coverage of council meetings at its 7 p.m. Tuesday meeting.

Letters to the Editor

Leo Long earns local honors

In the April 30 issue of the Town Crier, you were right to congratulate and thank Dick Henning from Foothill College for four decades of service to the community. I met him at Foothill as student body president more years ago than I’ll admit. Great guy.

Other Voices

As I pack my belongings, I reflect on what I was told when I first interviewed for this job at Redwood Grove in 1993: “In Los Altos, the community holds a high standard in its programs.”

I believe I held that standard and beyond. I am proud as an individual to provide some of the most popular programs in the Bay Area. With the community’s support, I was able to share my talents and make a difference in your children’s lives.

Taking It Personal

After strumming out the daily frustrations on my steel-string acoustic guitar last week, I looked forward to falling asleep while listening to music. Guitar in hand, I stood up and felt a surge of pain in my left knee. Then I instantly fell onto my bed.

There I lay for 10 long minutes, unable to get up. I was absolutely terrified. I felt a range of emotions, from grief to anger to acceptance, as I unsuccessfully attempted to move my leg.

Anniversary: Art and Ellie Zias, 50 years

Art and Ellie Zias celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Jan. 5 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.

The couple met on a blind date in Brooklyn, N.Y., while in high school.

Dream Dinners hosts Relay For Life fundraiser

Dream Dinners has scheduled a fundraiser to benefit the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Los Altos and Los Altos Hills.

Through June 21, Dream Dinners will donate $10 for each order to Relay For Life, when the customer requests the donation. The annual Relay For Life is scheduled June 21 and June 22 at the Los Altos High School track.

Rotary’s Fine Art in the Park benefits community projects

The Los Altos Rotary Club has scheduled its annual Fine Art in the Park show 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 17 and 18 at Lincoln Park, corner of Main Street and Foothill Expressway.

Proceeds will benefit a number of local projects, including the RotaCare Clinic at El Camino Hospital, Partners for New Generations, the Eastside College Preparatory School, Child Advocates, Los Altos, Mountain View and Alta Vista high schools, college scholarships for graduating seniors and prevention of AIDS/HIV.

Philanthropist Somerville visits Main Street Cafe

Main Street Cafe & Books has scheduled author and philanthropist Bill Somerville to speak and sign books 5:30-7:30 p.m. May 21 at the cafe, 134 Main St., Los Altos.

In “A Conversation with Bill Somerville,” Somerville, founding president of the Philanthropic Ventures Fund, will offer a candid critique of the foundation world.

S. African speaker at LA Library

The Friendship Force of the San Francisco Bay Area has scheduled Sibongile Masuku van Damme, former general manager of South Africa National Parks, to speak on her experiences with environmental education, community-based conservation, cultural heritage and social science research 1-3 p.m. May 18 at the Los Altos main library, 13 S. San Antonio Road.

Van Damme, a research fellow at the Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University, earned undergraduate degrees in history, education, English and English literature from the University of Swaziland and masters’ degrees from the University of Brussels and Rhodes University.

Kiwanis Club of Los Altos schedules 61st pet parade

The Kiwanis Club of Los Altos has scheduled the 61st Annual Kiwanis Pet Parade 10 a.m. May 17 along Main and State streets in downtown Los Altos.

The pet parade started in 1947, five years before the city of Los Altos was incorporated. The parade has become a spring tradition attracting thousands of children with pets of all varieties – from snails to llamas – accompanied by representatives from local bands, schools and other community groups.

Ruth and Roy Rogers honored with volunteer award

The Los Altos Community Foundation has awarded Los Altos Hills residents Ruth and Roy Rogers the John W. Gardner Community Building Award.

For nearly 50 years, the Rogerses have served the community through public service and work with non-profit organizations. For more than 10 years, Ruth, a board member at the Community School of Music and Arts at Finn Center, and Roy have shared their time, talents and resources to ensure CSMA’s mission of “Arts for All,” according to Evy Schiffman, CSMA director of marketing and communications, who added that their support was critical to the school’s success in establishing a permanent home for CSMA, and their commitment continues to be a part of the school’s foundation for the future.

Los Altos artists open studios to public

As part of Silicon Valley Open Studios, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Mountain View artists invite the public to drop in Saturday at their studios. The annual non-profit art event provides visitors an opportunity to experience the settings for various forms of visual expression through art.

The general public, art enthusiasts, educators, art students, art collectors and investors can spend time in artists’ studios.

Voter league forum spotlights local June 3 races

The League of Women Voters of Los Altos/Mountain View has scheduled a forum for candidates for the 22nd Assembly District and Superior Court Judicial Office No. 8 7 p.m. Monday at the Mountain View City Hall Council Chambers, 500 Castro St.

Voters will select candidates for both offices in the statewide direct primary election June 3.

Community Briefs

Main Street Cafe exhibits student artwork

The Community School of Music and Arts at Finn Center has scheduled “Kids Art on Main Street,” an exhibition of children’s art, through May 30 at Main Street Cafe & Books, 134 Main St., Los Altos.

LASD girls learn communication skills

When Los Altos resident Stacy Peña’s daughter comes home upset about a conflict with other girls at school, Peña is well-equipped to speak with her using language she will understand.

Peña and her daughter attended a four-week workshop at Santa Rita School earlier in the school year led by the Girls Leadership Institute. Currently a group of 15 Los Altos School District girls and their mothers participate in the series at Loyola School.

LAH Gunn High student named Presidential Scholar in the Arts

Los Altos Hills student Kenric Tam received top honors last week when he was named a 2008 Presidential Scholar in the Arts.

Tam, a Gunn High School senior, is one of 139 outstanding American high school seniors who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, artistic excellence, leadership, citizenship and service at school and in their community. Tam and the other Presidential Scholars will be honored for their accomplishments June 21-24 in Washington, D.C. It will be Tam’s first trip to the national capital.

St. Francis senior steps up as California youth governor

Don’t tell St. Francis High School senior David Murdter that young people aren’t interested in politics and involved in their communities. As California youth governor this year, he has addressed 2,300 teens assembled for mock government sessions and listened to them debate the merits of cigarette taxes, alternative fuel and other policies.

Murdter recently wrapped up his year as youth governor with the California Youth and Government Model Legislation and Court. The educational program exposes young people to hands-on policy and government work. The program recruits teens from around the state, who choose the government positions they want to role-play for the year. The teens run for elected office, hold mock assembly sessions, write bills and lobby for or against them.

Board Brief

LASD board votes on BCS housing

The Los Altos School District Board of Trustees voted to offer the Egan Camp School an additional 2.5 classroom units for Bullis Charter School for the 2008-2009 school year.

Eagles rise to the top

The surprise of last week’s SCVAL De Anza Division track and field finals had to be the Los Altos High girls.

It’s no secret that the Eagles have talent – particularly in the sprints, hurdles and jumps – but their lack of depth has dogged them for much of the season.

Sports on the Side

Incerpi nets award

The United States Tennis Association will recognize Kacey Incerpi of Los Altos this month for ranking first in Santa Clara County in the under-12 girls division for 2007. The sixth-grader at Cupertino Middle School is scheduled to receive an award May 17 at Fremont Hills Country Club in Los Altos Hills.

Jensen captures Alameda Commuters Championship

Michael Jensen wasn’t the leader after the first round, but the Los Altos native improved each round to come out on top at the Alameda Commuter Championship.

The St. Francis High graduate posted a 1-under, 70, for a total of 274 for four rounds (10 under). The tournament was held over the last two weekends of April at the Chuck Corica Golf Complex in Alameda.

MV baseball team sweeps Lynbrook

As expected, the Mountain View High baseball team swept last-place Lynbrook last week. The Spartans beat the Vikings 13-0 April 29 and 8-2 Thursday in SCVAL El Camino Division play.

Starter Eric Cutler earned the win in Thursday’s road game, scattering six hits over six innings. Mountain View (6-7 league, 14-13-1 overall) took advantage of two Lynbrook errors in the third by scoring three runs, according to Spartans coach Gabe Stewart.

LA’s hitting woes return in league playoffs

The Los Altos High baseball team reverted to its old ways last week in the SCVAL De Anza Division Championship Tournament.

“The bats went quiet,” coach Sandy Wihtol said.

Come for the pretzel, stay for the strudel

Open just three weeks, the new bakery on the northeast edge of Los Altos has a crowd-pleaser with its artisan pretzels, and might win even the leery over to an appreciation for sauerkraut’s delicious potential. Esther’s German Bakery and Cafe replaced the Second Cup Cafe just down the block from Armadillo Willy’s and Chef Chu’s on San Antonio Road.

For the last few years, Los Altos residents have known Esther’s as a wholesale bakery that sold at local farmers markets and stores such as Draeger’s and the Milk Pail Market. Esther Nio and her husband, Robert, moved from Germany to California in 1997 for his job in high-tech. Four years ago, they decided to strike out in another direction and create something entirely new to this area.

It’s spring and time for grilled chicken kebabs

Spring is in full swing, and it is time to head outdoors and fire up the grill. What could be better than grilling some delicious, lean chicken kebabs bursting with traditional Indian flavors, wrapped in hot naan bread?

Kebabs can be skewered meats or vegetables cooked on an outdoor grill and can also be made of ground, minced meats like chicken, turkey or lamb. In India kebabs are made in a hot clay oven called a tandoor.

Pine Ridge revisited

At least 20 years have passed since my last visit to Pine Ridge Winery in the Napa Valley. Back then, Gary and Nancy Andrus ran the winery. They have gone their separate ways, and the Leucadia Corporation has owned the winery since 1991.

Recently I was invited to a Pine Ridge new-release luncheon at Bacar restaurant in San Francisco. The South of Market establishment has been serving fine food with an award-winning, 1,400-bottle wine list for nearly a decade.

Jaguar XKR is one classy cat

With the curves of the narrow road coming quickly, we climb up the edge of Silicon Valley toward the white domes of the observatory on the top of Mount Hamilton.

The top’s down in the early morning sun, but the heater warms us against the spring chill as the 2008 Jaguar XKR convertible torques up the steep switchbacks of Quimby Road, its agile and quick handling belying its size and weight.

Adding refrigerant not the solution to car’s air-conditioning woes

Q:The air conditioner in my vehicle is not blowing cold air. My neighbor thinks it might just be low on refrigerant and wants me to let him top it off. He says it would save me a lot of money to do that first rather than take it to a shop for help. Does this make sense to you?

How to replace damaged plates

Q:I recently got into a collision and my front license plate was damaged in the process. The plates on the back of my car are fine. Can I just remove the front plates or do I need to get a replacement plate?

A: The DMV requires that all license plates and registration stickers be replaced immediately when they are lost, stolen, mutilated or become illegible. Plates must be mounted to both the front and the rear of the vehicle (CVC 5200(a)).

‘Compassion Weekend’ draws nearly 3,000 volunteers

Nearly 3,000 local residents participated in Menlo Park Presbyterian Church’s third annual “Compassion Weekend” April 26 and 27, as parishioners opted to forgo church services in favor of helping needy agencies. Approximately 880 members are from Los Altos and Los Altos Hills.

Participants selected projects among 21 options, ranging from assembling AIDS kits for Africa to holding health-care clinics and repairing local schools and homes for seniors.

Florence Henrietta Serracino Packard: Devoted mother, dedicated to family

Florence Packard passed away quietly, surrounded by her family, Friday at her Los Altos home after a long battle with cancer. She was 83.

Mrs. Packard, born Jan. 16, 1925, in North Hollywood, was the first and only child of Henry Serracino and Esther DelliQuadri. Her grandparents on both sides were Italian immigrants. Mrs. Packard traced her Italian genealogy back to the 1500s.

DAVID L. HOBSON

David Hobson of Los Altos, California, came west from Massachusetts with his wife Kathy in 1969. They were married for 40 years. David’s career was spent in the electronics industry where he was a manufacturer’s representative and owned ISC, a distribution company. He later founded and owned TrackData Systems, which provides services and software systems to the international pari-mutuel racing industry.

David was also a veteran of the United States Air Force. He was a past President of Fairbrae Swim and Tennis Club of Sunnyvale and was the Publisher of National Greyhound Update.

BONNIE JEAN PRESCOP

Born in San Francisco 1/23/55, fell asleep in the Lord on 4/28/08 - the day after Eastern Orthodox Easter. She was surrounded by her loving family in her home in Mountain View after a brief and tragic illness. Raised in South SF and Belmont, she graduated from UC Berkeley with distinction. Bonnie was married to Steven Prescop for 30 wonderful years raising 3 more Cal graduates, Ted, Julianne, & Mary. A Mountain View resident for the last 24 years, Bonnie was dedicated to children, running her own child daycare and teaching Sunday School for 20 years. She also coordinated the charity programs of 3 churches. Her kindness, compassion, selflessness, hospitality, and ability to listen to and connect with anyone, were famous to those who knew her. Bonnie also traveled widely, read incessantly, and enjoyed dancing.

In addition to her husband and children, Bonnie is survived by her parents Paul and Carleen Burri, 4 siblings, many nieces and nephews, and countless children whom she cared for. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Christina Orthodox church.

Datebook

Datebook items are run on a space-available basis for entertainment, non-profit events, low-cost classes and groups of wide interest in our circulation area. The deadline is noon Tuesday for the next week’s paper. Notices must be typed and include a contact name and phone number. Items may be submitted via e-mail (peteb@latc.com); fax (948-6647); or post (138 Main St., Los Altos, CA 94022).

THEATER

LA student carries big role in ‘Little Prince’

Not long after the curtains opened Saturday night on San Francisco Opera’s “The Little Prince,” Los Altos seventh-grader Tyler Polen took center stage.

Polen, 12, is alternating with another young singer in the show’s title role. He bleached his hair to play the enigmatic blond prince who flies between planets delivering snippets of philosophy.

Legends of radio to re-create days of ‘Hi-Yo Silver’

Well before the days of talk radio and shock jocks came the sound of hoofbeats and a cry of “Hi -Yo Silver” from the Lone Ranger.

The San Francisco Museum and Historical Society has scheduled “The Golden Memories of Radio,” a program that will re-create nostalgic examples of radio newscasts, daytime soap operas, commercials, jingles and prime-time bits, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Jewish Community Center, 3200 California St., San Francisco.

What’s hot this week

Downtown Los Altos farmers market

The farmers market on State Street opened for the season last week, and its stalls are bright with spring vegetables. Watch for peas, spring onions and spring garlic, and get them before they give way to summer stone fruit.

Lifestyles Briefs

A La Carte & Art

A La Carte & Art, Mountain View’s art and food event, scheduled 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 17 and 18, kicks off the festival season with live music, crafts and snacks as well as a chef demonstration tent.

‘Light’ is still on

Palo Alto Players’ regional premiere of “The Light in the Piazza” closes Sunday at the Lucie Stern Theater.

The Tony award-winning musical by Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel is a love story sparked by the chance meeting of a naive young American woman and a handsome Florentine in 1950s Italy.

Mommy makeover: Cinderella, meet fairy godmother

For any new mom in the Bay Area trying to shuck maternity wear to create a new look that stylishly meshes with a new lifestyle, self-described “fashion fairy-godmother” Corinne Phipps will overhaul the wardrobe and outfit her Cinderella – no pumpkins involved.

As founder and lead stylist of Urban Darling, Phipps offers wardrobe assessment and style-consultation services for men and women.