Los Altan of the Year
Filed under Blog · Tagged: Los Altos Town Cirer, Volunteering
Every year our local paper, the Town Crier, selects an individual as Los Altan of the Year. This honor has been bestowed to a number of individuals that I have always held in high regard.
They are selflessly committed to our community. They create bonds that make Los Altos what it is today.
This year, Len Edwards was selected. His ethics are beyond reproach, he is an advocate for families in crisis, and has spent 26 years as a judge.
Below you will find the Crier’s announcement of Len’s selection and a dinner in his honor. Enjoy …
The Town Crier named “Len” Edwards, who as a Santa Clara County family and juvenile court judge revolutionized his profession, the 2011 Los Altan of the Year.
Modeled after Time magazine’s Person of the Year, the Town Crier bestows the annual honor on residents whose community building and good will reflect positively on the city.
Edwards, 70, a Los Altos Hills resident, spent his 26 years as a judge evolving from detached arbitrator to active participant in improving the lives of at-risk children and families in crisis.
Childhood memories of his parents’ bitter divorce inspired Edwards to craft new rules, such as permitting judges to appoint counsel to represent children and specifying the duties of an attorney for a child in custody cases. He also was instrumental in mandating a three-year minimum term for juvenile court judges to provide continuity and enhance effectiveness.
Energetic and committed, Edwards has authored numerous articles and made films based on his work.
The depth of his involvement – founding as well as participating in numerous family-advocacy organizations – has earned him dozens of awards. His work has played a vital role in the Santa Clara County court system’s standing as one of the most exemplary in the country.
He took to heart the need for juvenile judges to reach out to the community and identify services that address the needs of children.
He expanded his vision outside the court, helping domestic violence victims by founding the county’s Domestic Violence Council in 1993.
Another major achievement was his 1986 co-founding of Child Advocates of Silicon Valley with Nora Manchester (see Town Crier Holiday Fund, page 11). He also facilitated previously combative professionals – social workers and judges – in establishing dialogue that led to improved communication and performance.
Since retiring from the bench in 2006, Edwards has been as active as ever, consulting with juvenile and family courts across the state, country and world.
Edwards is scheduled to be honored in a full-length Jan. 4 Town Crier cover story and at a Jan. 20 invitation-only dinner at the Los Altos Golf & Country Club.
A New Place to Eat
Filed under Blog · Tagged: Downtown, Family Fun, Los Altos Town Cirer, Quality of Life
A few years ago, I was traveling through Florida and asked the hotel concierge for a fun restaurant at which to eat. He didn’t hesitate with his recommendation: ”Taverna Opa” he stated with such enthusiasm I knew I had to give it a try. The fun component lived up to expectations. The food was good, and the atmosphere was lively.
Coming soon to downtown Los Altos, Opa! (Authentic Greek Cuisine) looks to bring our community some distinctive flavor from the Mediterranean. While these two restaurant share a part of their name, they are not related businesses. However, the enthusiasm surrounding this restaurant is the same. Recently, the Town Crier wrote a article about Opa! Enjoy …
Just as the rains subside and leave local residents to dry out after a thorough drenching comes the mouth-watering news that Opa! Authentic Greek Cuisine is tentatively scheduled to open by May 15 at 325 Main St., replacing now-closed Zitune’s Moroccan fare.
With two other locations – San Jose’s Willow Glen district and downtown Los Gatos – Opa!’s Web site gives potential diners a tantalizing preview of what’s on the menu. And if reviews at Yelp.com and restaurant critics are to be believed, prepare to enjoy.
Since the April 2008 debut of its first location in San Jose, 463 reviews at Yelp overall award the restaurant four stars of five.
Most Yelpers seem to agree that Opa!’s fries are top notch, flavored with Greek spices and topped with feta cheese and herbs and well worth the $4.99 price. For $2 more, diners can have the deluxe version, served with tzatziki, yogurt flavored with cucumber, garlic and other spices, and gyro (yee-roh), skewered meat.
So maybe the wait will be worth it, too, because if diners like what they eat at the Los Gatos and San Jose Opa!s, they’ll like the dining in Los Altos.
“For the most part, our menus and specials are all consistent, and that’s what customers can expect,” said Opa! co-owner Molly Adams, who recently joined restaurant co-founders Spiro Tsaboukos and Angelo Heropoulos.
Adams said Heropoulos created the Opa! concept and executive chef Tsaboukos developed the menu.
“Spiro was raised in the restaurant business and spent time in Greece as a child,” she said. “His parents own Lou’s Diner in Los Gatos – and that’s been there a long time.”
Adams said Tsaboukos has produced an Opa! recipe book for the Greek-with-Mediterranean-flair recipes so that chefs don’t deviate from the ingredients, ensuring consistency.
Open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Opa! offers lunch and dinner: from appetizers priced from $4.99 to $11.99, assorted dips and spreads served with warm pita bread, entrees ranging from $15.99 to $22.99, daily specials and desserts – and, of course, the famous fries sprinkled with special spices and feta cheese. There is also a weekend-brunch menu.
Adams said the Main Street location is ideal for Opa!’s philosophy to serve a fresh, high-quality and authentic Greek cuisine in small, family-oriented communities.
“We love the space – it’s a gorgeous, gorgeous space,” Adams said. “It really fits in with what we’re trying to do.”
Adams said Opa!’s seating will be similar to Zitune’s – including outdoor dining – but colors and other aesthetic changes are under way inside.
“We just give it the Opa! feeling,” she said.
With more than 3,000 square feet and a seating capacity of 90, the larger Los Altos space should be good news for diners who have endured long lines at other Opa! restaurants for a bite to eat.
“Our other locations are smaller,” Adams said.
Diners get stuffed on the food just reading the menu. Like the Greek Cheesesteak Sandwich, a blend of gyro meat, sautéed onions and bell peppers blended with mozzarella cheese, served in a warm pita and topped with a spicy aioli. Or the Bifteki, a Greek burger with spiced ground beef and lamb served on a toasted bun, topped with tzatziki, ripe tomatoes, red onions and chopped mint, accompanied by a choice of sides for both – those famous fries or rice pilaf.
Despite its relatively small size, Opa! is growing in a big way, with another restaurant scheduled to open soon in Walnut Creek and other possibilities for expansion, including branching into a franchise.
“It’s definitely something we’ve talked about,” Adams said. For more information, visit their Willow Glen web site.
The Living Classroom Program
Filed under Blog · Tagged: Education, Los Altos, Los Altos Town Cirer, Quality of Life
The school districts in Los Altos have always been open to piloting new and innovative ways to teach their students. Essentially, the districts have established a multi-directional education experience for the students, their parents, and the broader community. As we’ve mentioned previously, the local schools are consistently mentioned as one of the primary reasons families want to live in Los Altos.
Recently, the Town Crier wrote about this program. Below you will find an edited version of the Crier’s story. Enjoy …
The Living Classroom Program, which provides garden-based science lessons in the Los Altos School District, is thriving.
The program has sustained growth rates of 50 percent per year over the past two years, providing more than 400 lessons to students in grades K-7 this school year alone.
“The teacher and student feedback from the lessons have been extremely positive, and we are thrilled that more and more students are getting this important exposure to the natural world,” said Nadia Jankovic, Living Classroom docent. “The lessons are science based and tie very well to the children’s school curriculum, helping reinforce what is being taught in the classroom with a hands-on, nature-based focus that the kids really enjoy.”
Founded in 2008, the Living Classroom operates in all seven district elementary schools and is piloting seventh-grade science lessons at Blach Junior High School this spring.
Mike Sanderson, program director, said “one of the most satisfying experiences you can have as a volunteer docent is to see the genuine excitement on children’s faces when they are really engaged, with all their senses, in learning. Seeing that sense of wonder and connection that children make, sometimes for the first time, with something living in the garden, is truly magical.”
Since its inception, private donations have funded the Living Classroom. Local foundations such as the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Los Altos Educational Foundation, the Morgan Family Foundation and the Los Altos Community Foundation Youth Philanthropy Program and other businesses and individuals have kept the program afloat for the past three years.
For more information, e-mail Mike Sanderson at msanderson@lasdschools.org, call 947-1103 or simply click here.
Community Briefs for Los Altos
Filed under Blog · Tagged: Family Fun, Los Altos, Los Altos Town Cirer, Volunteering
From time to time, I will highlight the events to help encourage attendance and participation. Enjoy …
ZIMBABWE RUN RETURNS TO MOUNTAIN VIEW
The 12th Annual Run for Zimbabwe Orphans and Community Fair is scheduled March 27 at St. Joseph School, 1120 Miramonte Ave., Mountain View. The annual event benefits the Makumbi Children’s Home in Zimbabwe.
For more information or to register, visit www.ZimbabweParaguay.org.
GREENTOWN OFFERS ALTERNATIVES TO DRIVING
GreenTown Los Altos has scheduled a public meeting to kick off city of Los Altos participation in a Drive Less Challenge, 7-9 p.m. March 29 at Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave. The event includes tips on bicycle/pedestrian safety and information on the latest bikes, gear and accessories for safe commuting.
A Los Altos police officer will provide safety tips for bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists who share the roads. A bicycle expert will demonstrate useful gear and accessories.
For more information, visit greentownlosaltos.org or call 383-7540.
LOS ALTOS LIVE!
The third annual Los Altos Live! talent show is scheduled 7 p.m. April 2 at Los Altos High School’s Eagle Theater, 210 Almond Ave. The event, co-sponsored by the Los Altos Cultural Association and the Los Altos Town Crier, features more than 20 acts over approximately 90 minutes.
For more information, e-mail Abby Althoff at abbyalthoff@yahoo.com or Mike Abrams at michael@abrams4.com.
FRENCH FAIR BENEFITS NON-PROFIT PARTNERS
The sixth Peninsula French Fair, “A Day in France,” is scheduled 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 2 at the Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Visitors will have an opportunity to browse booths featuring vendors and artists offering a wide range of services and products, including handmade jewelry, antiques and original art.
Highlights of the fair include a fashion show with the latest creations from French designers, a dance performance by Harmony Dance Center and crepes and pastries from French bakeries.
Partners for New Generations, a Los Altos non-profit organization and co-organizer of the fair, will receive a portion of the proceeds. Partners for New Generations provides mentors and tutors to aid students with challenges in school.
For more information, visit www.frenchfair.org.
ROADRUNNERS SEEKS VOLUNTEERS
The volunteer RoadRunners Transportation Service, sponsored by El Camino Hospital, seeks volunteers to provide door-to-door service for people who can’t drive and don’t have other ways to get to their medical appointments.
The volunteering schedule is flexible: drive one day a week, 1/2 day a week or remain on call. Requirements include a California driver’s license, patience and dependability. Volunteers drive hospital vehicles, and service requires no lifting or physical demands.
Orientation and training are provided, and volunteers benefit from free access to hospital resources, including classes offered through the education department. To sign up, e-mail recruit_aux@elcaminohospital.org or call 988-8213.
For more information, call Bonnie Adamson, RoadRunner coordinator, at 988-7651.
PNG SEEKS VOLUNTEERS TO MENTOR LOCAL YOUTH
Partners for New Generations, a non-profit organization, provides tutors for local elementary, middle and high schools students; mentors at Los Altos, Mountain View and Alta Vista High Schools; and child advocates for wards of the Santa Clara County Child Dependency Court.
To volunteer or for more information, contact Linda Waud at Linda.waud@mvla.net or 691-2434, or visit www.partnersfornewgenerations.org.
Los Altan of the Year
Filed under Blog · Tagged: Los Altos Town Cirer, Quality of Life, Recognition, Volunteering
Every year our local paper, the Town Crier, selects an individual as Los Altan of the Year. This honor has been bestowed to a number of individuals that I have always held in high regard. They are selflessly committed to our community. They create bonds that make Los Altos what it is today.
This year, Don McDonald was selected. He is widely respected, thoroughly humble, and a consummate gentleman. Below you will find an edited version of the Crier’s story. Enjoy …
Donald C. McDonald’s eyes light up as he talks enthusiastically about the characters and events that framed early Los Altos history. The names Paul Shoup and George Ramsey may not mean much to today’s Los Altos residents, but these early settlers fascinate the man whose love of history is always very much part of his present.
That love has spurred longtime, ongoing volunteer work at the Los Altos History Museum. But Don’s cultured side – he loves travel, fine art and opera – also played a role in his helping to found Los Altos Sister Cities Inc., an ambassadorial organization that has spread the good will of this community to countries around the world.
Don, 92, has sparked interest in the stories of others among countless Los Altos residents. He has played a major role in the community’s commitment to respecting its history.
Because of his 40 years of volunteer work enlightening the Los Altos community, the Town Crier has named Don its 2010 Los Altan of the Year. The paper presents its annual honor to residents whose contributions create good will and make Los Altos a desirable community in which to live.
Don, known by many as the town historian, said he was “deeply honored and humbled.”
“This is right up there with a major award stipend I got from NSA (National Security Agency),” Don winked, “but that one paid better because a lifetime stipend went along with it.”
Don began volunteering not long after he arrived in Los Altos in 1970. With the Los Altos History House Association, he worked as a docent, conducted approximately 100 interviews for the museum’s Oral History Program and wrote many historical items for the museum’s newsletter and the Town Crier.
He was guest curator for the 2000 exhibition “Los Altos as a Homefront in World War II,” and used that information as part of a new book published this year for which he wrote captions. “Images of America: Early Los Altos and Los Altos Hills” (Arcadia Publishing, 2010) is credited to Don McDonald and the Los Altos History Museum. He attended special events and book signings in support of the book, which covers the history of the region from 1850 to 1950.
In 1990-1991, Don served as Los Altos Sister Cities vice president for Bendigo, Australia. The Los Altos Historical Commission appointed him a member in 1999.
From 1980 until last year, he volunteered at the Bechtel International Center at Stanford University, both as a teacher and a conversational partner for foreign scholars and their spouses. From 1974 until 1995, he periodically taught poetry classes for the Palo Alto Adult School.
His interest in history led him to join such local organizations as the Peninsula Civil War Round Table (where he served as president in 1991), the South Bay Civil War Round Table, the Palo Alto Historical Association, the Mountain View Historical Society, the Moffett Field Historical Society and the Society for Aviation History. He has also written for the Glendale Historical Society.
For his volunteer work, Don received the Los Altos-Los Altos Hills Joint Community Volunteer Service Award in 2000. And in 2008, the Los Altos City Council honored him by proclaiming his 90th birthday, July 25, “Don McDonald Day.”
Pursuing a special interest in early music, Don founded the Washington Recorder Society in 1957. He organized and led the Silver Spring Consort, which sponsored a number of early music programs in the Silver Spring Library in Maryland. In addition to being an excellent recorder player, Don is a published poet.
He is an avid amateur photographer. Don enjoys theater and performed in a number of community theater productions, as well as at Camp Zama, Japan.
For nearly 30 years, Don and his wife, Audrey, traveled worldwide. They took many trips to Europe and Australia; polar voyages from Greenland to the Canadian Arctic, and to Antarctica; three extensive freighter trips – around South America, from and to San Francisco (1976); around the world, from Antwerp westward to Rotterdam (1991); and from New Orleans to Algeria and Egypt, returning through the St. Lawrence Seaway to Cleveland (1978). They also participated in 10 Elderhostel programs in the United States and one in France.
Their north Los Altos home is filled with items collected on their travels, such as boomerangs from Australia and woodblocks from Japan. But Don’s biggest and most important collections are friends.
With typical humility, Don downplays his achievements and attributes his life’s successes to good fortune.
“I think 10 percent is genealogy, 5 percent is not doing the wrong things and 85 percent is pure luck,” Don said in explaining his success – and longevity.
What Defines Village Character?
Filed under Featured Story · Tagged: Downtown, Los Altos, Los Altos Town Cirer, Quality of Life
There are as many descriptions of Los Altos, as there are resident. Carol & I enjoy hearing about the characteristics residents use to define this community they love so much. The most common title used is that Los Altos is a Village.
There are a number of projects underway around the community. During each planning phase, the community has had the opportunity to participate in framing what they would like to see improved, and/or retain.
So, what exactly defines Village character? Well, the Town Crier recently dove into this subject. Below, is an slightly edited version of their article. Enjoy …
As construction moves toward completion on streetscape improvements in downtown Los Altos, the disruption to traffic – autos and otherwise – will become a distant memory when newly planted flowers are blooming and pedestrians replace detour placards.
After all, the impetus for infrastructure improvements was to boost business, draw developers and create a lively and vibrant village for visitors. But before the streetscape construction began, city officials adopted Downtown Design Guidelines in December 2009, outlining architectural and design elements for the residential and commercial areas within the triangle bordered by Foothill Expressway, San Antonio Road and West Edith Avenue. Read more
Additional High School Campus Improvements
Filed under Blog · Tagged: Los Altos High School, Los Altos Town Cirer, Solar, Sustainable Projects
There are many reasons to move into Los Altos. Consistently, however, most people speak about the great schools. One thing to know about Los Altos, it’s always improving upon the foundations of success. One such area are the High School facilities.
Recently, the Town Crier published an article on the upcoming renovation efforts following the successful school bond election in June. It’s great to see the High School District investing in sustainable projects. Here is a slightly edited recap of the article. Enjoy …
Mountain View Los Altos Union High School officials prioritized the projects that the $41.3 million bond initiative, approved June 8, will fund.
The district designated the bond money for new classrooms, science labs, energy-efficient upgrades, fire and safety improvements, a new swimming pool at Mountain View High School and solar canopies at both schools.
Scheduled to begin construction Nov. 29 and end in April, the installation of solar canopies in the school parking lots is the first project. The board recently approved a contract with Cupertino Electric Inc. to install a 1.2-megawatt solar-panel system at each high school. The solar canopies are estimated to meet 45 percent of the district’s electrical needs.
“This is the equivalent of powering 100 average-size homes,” said Superintendent Barry Groves in a release to the Town Crier.
The systems will comprise approximately 95,000 square feet of photovoltaic canopies, located predominantly in the parking lots.
With $1.6 million in PG&E rebates and a savings of $250,000 annually, the $7.1 million project should pay for itself quickly as well as save electrical power. The power generated by the solar canopies is equivalent to that of 217 automobiles, the release reported.
District officials listed the approved projects, their estimated completion dates and their budget estimates.
• Solar projects, including new classroom additions: Phase 1 (parking lots), completion in 2011; Phase 2 (classrooms), completion in 2013, budget estimate $8.3 million.
• New classrooms and renovations to existing classrooms: completion in 2013, budget estimate $23.5 million.
• Fire and life safety upgrades, including repairs: completion in 2011, budget estimate $1.8 million.
• Technology fund for implementing new equipment and upgrades: completion in 10 years, budget estimate $2 million.
• School repairs, energy and environmental projects: ongoing work from 2011 through 2014, budget estimate $2.2 million.
• Mountain View High School pool and weight room: completion 2012, budget estimate $3.5 million.
For more information, visit www.mvla.net/bondinfo.
Hometown Heroes
Filed under Blog · Tagged: Los Altos, Los Altos Town Cirer, Quality of Life, Volunteering
Los Altos is made up of a wide variety of individuals who care about giving back to the community. This year, Community Services Agency (CSA) held its 10th breakfast honoring these individuals and organizations.
This year, Paul & Liz Nyberg, publishers of the Los Altos Town Crier, received the heartfelt appreciation of a sell out crowd. The post below is a slightly edited article from the Crier. Enjoy…
With Google located in Mountain View, multimillion-dollar homes spread throughout Los Altos Hills and an estimated median household income of more than $140,000 in Los Altos, it’s sometimes difficult to imagine area residents in dire straits.
But the numbers tell a different story at the Community Services Agency, a support-services non-profit organization that has seen a 300 percent increase in the number of people it serves in the past year alone.
“Poverty and need exist among us,” said CSA Associate Director Maureen Wadiak. “You help us make things happen.”
The “you” was the packed audience gathered Sept. 17 at the Crowne Plaza Cabaña in Palo Alto to honor CSA’s 2010 “Hometown Heroes” – Los Altos residents Liz and Paul Nyberg.
“This large crowd speaks volumes because of those we are honoring today,” said Tom Myers, CSA executive director.
Myers commended the Nybergs’ community involvement. He included Liz’s work tutoring and mentoring students through Partners For New Generations and her volunteer activities with the Los Altos History Museum. He noted Paul’s work with the 10-year-old Los Altos Cultural Association, which has contributed $1 million to projects benefiting Los Altos.
Myers paid tribute to the couple’s ardent support of CSA through the Town Crier’s Holiday Fund and their participation in the agency’s Chefs Who Care monthly fundraisers.
The Nybergs are perhaps best known as publishers of the Los Altos Town Crier, celebrating its 63rd year in business – 17 with the Nybergs at the helm.
“It’s lots of fun being part of the team that creates this hometown paper,” Paul said. “We appreciate our advertisers and readers who keep reading the Town Crier.”
The Nybergs are particularly proud of the newspaper’s annual Holiday Fund, which has raised more than $1.5 million during the past 10 years in support of local non-profit organizations.
Dick Henning, who established the Celebrity Forum Speakers Series, served as guest speaker at the morning-breakfast event. Henning urged the audience to be role models for today’s generation, modeling a love of learning, showing kindness and respect, and serving others. And don’t be afraid to take the lead, Henning said.
“The person who only knows ‘how’ is always a follower to those who know ‘why,’ Henning said, quoting Aristotle.
For more information, visit www.csacares.org.
Los Altos Students Deliver Aid In Haiti
Filed under Blog · Tagged: High School, Los Altos, Los Altos Town Cirer, Philanthropy
It is always heartwarming to hear about how our local youth continue to step up in making the world a better place. Just this past week, the Los Altos Town Crier ran an article about the humanitarian efforts of group of students. Once you have read the article, I encourage you take a moment and visit the web site listed at the bottom of the story…
Sleeping in tents, meeting representatives from grassroots organizations, playing soccer with the locals and helping rebuild a school are just a few of the activities a group of local students managed to fit in over their summer trip.
A delegation of 15 high school and college students, including seven from Los Altos High School, teachers and one parent embarked on a good-will mission to Port-au-Prince. Their goal was to bring aid to Haitian community organizations and pitch in to rebuild a Haitian school following the devastation caused by the 7.0 earthquake Jan. 12.
Global Exchange, a San Francisco-based non-profit group, organized the trip. Los Altos High teacher Seth Donnelly, who has visited Haiti eight times, initiated Los Altos High’s participation after students approached him expressing interest in assisting Haiti firsthand.
“It was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life to see how our delegation just game to life while bonding with Haitian peers and activists,” Donnelly said.
Several students who traveled to Haiti volunteered with the Los Altos High-originated One Dollar for Life (ODFL) organization. ODFL-participating high schools raised approximately $20,000 for Haitian relief. Half of the money was delivered via the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund, a Bay Area organization that collaborated closely with Haitian grassroots organizations, schools, farming co-ops and women’s groups even before the earthquake, Donnelly said.
The students distributed the remaining $10,000 this summer to various Haitian groups through the Haitian Emergency Relief Fund.
“One hundred percent of the money from the ODFL drive was given to grassroots organizations, unlike a lot of large aid,” Donnelly said. “Students were able to see dollar for dollar that everything they raised went to actual organizations in Haiti.”
Donnelly said that during the students’ stay in Haiti, they witnessed how little of the major aid – pledged by governments and raised by nongovernmental organizations – seems to actually reach the people of Haiti.
“You need to give in a sustainable way,” said Ian Glasner, a Los Altos High School senior who participated in the venture. “You know that you are going to make a difference, but you cannot see it right away.”
While distributing the $10,000, students witnessed the courage, ingenuity and tenacity of Haitian leaders active in women’s groups, schools and other community organizations, who are trying to rebuild their country against the odds, Donnelly said.
“The earthquake happened six months ago, and there is still rubble everywhere,” Glasner said. “The streets are torn up, and the government has done nothing.”
In addition to distributing money, Donnelly said the group:
• Established deep ties of friendship and solidarity with Haitian activists and youth.
• Distributed medical supplies, donated by an Oakland nurse, directly to the Aristide Foundation, which operates mobile medical teams that serve people in the camps.
• Participated in the construction of a new Haitian school.
• Distributed approximately 200 solar-powered lights, donated by One Million Lights and World Centric, to Haitian community organizations.
• Distributed food and dental supplies to youth in Cité Soleil, one of the poorest areas in Port-au-Prince.
Glasner said he felt differently about life when he returned from Haiti.
“When I came back, my friends were like, ‘You missed so much,’” he said. “I couldn’t care less. People were dying in Haiti. Television is boring. I couldn’t care less about seeing the latest movie or sitcom.”
Glasner said he hopes to accompany Donnelly on another trip to Haiti.
For more information on One Dollar for Life, visit www.odfl.org.
Old Cars & Saturday Mornings
Filed under Blog · Tagged: Car Show, Family Fun, Los Altos, Los Altos Town Cirer
If you’ve passed the parking lot behind Main Street Cafe on State Street near the intersection with Main on a Saturday morning, you’ve probably noticed 10-20 unusual cars parked there.
Some of the cars are so old that few were alive when they were built. Some are so unusual that most people will never see them outside of automotive history books or an auto show.
Those who own these cars meet just about every weekend for what’s become a tradition in the downtown village. The group, started with a casual conversation at the Los Altos Fall Festival’s annual car show nearly 10 years ago.
The only objective was to share their love of classic, collectible and just plain unusual cars – of which there seemed to be a great many around Los Altos. Someone had noticed that the back parking lot of the cafe (which sits under the Town Crier’s office) was usually empty early Saturday mornings, and the shop had an area in back where they could meet over coffee and share information about the cars.
To wander through the parking lot on any given Saturday is to see the widest range of automobiles that anyone can imagine. Sometimes the vintage can span 100 years … you might stumble upon a 1904 Franklin with its air-cooled two-cylinder engine and crank starter at one end of the lot, a new Dodge Viper or Ferrari super car at the other.
One of the regulars has driven his Peel, the smallest road-legal four-wheel production car ever built and roughly one-quarter the length of one of the Packards or Cadillacs that frequently makes an appearance.
And as everyone insists, this is not a contest among show vehicles. One of the regular cars is a Pierce-Arrow from the mid-1930s, jointly owned by three of the regulars, that won its class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the most prestigious automobile show in the country. But one of its owners might just as likely drive up in a running, but completely un-restored, Jaguar XK120, parking it next to an equally rusty but equally dependable old Dodge step-side pickup truck or a Lancia in similar condition.
Conversations often flow into nostalgia, remembering what it was like in a world of dial telephones, manual typewriters and gas pumps at service stations with a bell that rang when you drove in and a fill-up that came with a check of oil, water and tire pressure. However, the group might just as often compare features on new iPhones or discuss the ins and outs of setting up a home Wi-Fi system.
If you’ve got a newer or older car that’s the slightest bit out of the ordinary, you should drop by with it on a Saturday morning and join in the fun. If it’s not running, come anyways as someone might be able to offer some advice on how to get it back out on the road.
And if you’re just downtown on a Saturday morning – between 9 and 11 a.m. – stop by and look at the cars. Show them to your children to help them understand the evolution of technology, or just to tell them what it was like when mom and dad, or grandma and granddad, drove a car just like this one. They guarantee you’ll be welcomed, and there’s never an admission charge or dues to be collected.
Note: This is a slightly edited version of a recent article, written by Gary and Genie Anderson for the Los Altos Town Crier.
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