Comment Editorial
P
Peek into the Past
Towing solution: Read the signs
ark in downtown Los Altos when or where it is not allowed, and you will be towed. You also could be subjected to a $571 fine. That’s the latest information posted on seemingly every tree trunk lining State and Main streets prior to events, including Friday Movie Nights, Thursdays Farmers’ Market and others that require street space with no traffic. The fact remains that, for a few years now, dozens of motorists parking on downtown streets have had their vehicles towed and have paid excessive fines. The total includes $146 in processing fees to the police department, at least $270 to the tow company ($200 for towing, $70 for storage and another $100 if the car is retrieved after hours) and the $54.50 parking ticket. The $571 is a virtual certainty. Given the late-afternoon, early-evening time of downtown events, the $100 after-hours charge will likely apply. Outrageous? You bet. And it’s especially frustrating when people do see the signs and, for whatever reason, forget or misinterpret them. Even in affluent Los Altos, people are shocked at the amount of money they are required to pay when their vehicle is towed. Downtown event sponsors like the Los Altos Village Association and the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce face a dilemma: How do they put on activities to attract people here, at the risk of alienating them with towing and parking fines? In the days before towing was enforced, some arrogant vehicle owners simply refused to budge or, worse, drove through a peoplefilled street during an event. To the credit of the police department, officers usually make substantial efforts to find the owner before ordering the tow. The good news is that the elevated discussion means more awareness about the towing issue. Thanks to concerns voiced by Councilman Lou Becker, the city council is scheduled to discuss the problem at its Sept. 14 council meeting. Solutions? On the part of event organizers and police, it means more communication. On the part of downtown visitors, it means taking time to read the signs. The police have reacted accordingly with new signs. City officials might look at towing cars themselves instead of contracting with a towing company. Then they can set their own prices. The city already owns commercial vehicles such as the street sweeper, public works trucks and loaders. Vehicle owners need to take responsibility, too. The signs mean what they say – they’re no bluff. And the posted dollar amount is added incentive not to take a chance. People should keep in mind that event organizers and police are not trying to be meanspirited with potential downtown customers. They are simply reacting to a need to clear the streets. The Village Association, in particular, is trying to host events that will draw thousands of people to a downtown that needs all the business it can get. We’d love to see reduced fines, and if there’s a way the city can make that happen, we’re all for it. In the meantime, people, please read the signs.
COURTESY OF LISA ROBINSON/LOS ALTOS HISTORY MUSEUM
The First National Bank of Los Altos operated on the corner of First and Main streets, as shown in this 1930s photograph. Next door is Gordon’s Red & White Store. Alex T. Gordon, a native of Scotland, and his wife Mabel, were the proprietors. Their son, Donald A. Gordon, worked in the store. In 1943, Don left Los Altos for a sales position in San Francisco, but returned in 1944 to take part ownership of the business. In 1948, Don and his brother Allan opened Gordon’s Fine Foods. The building housing the original store was torn down last week.
Letters to the Editor Lions Club hosts car shows, too Thanks to the Andersons for the article “Concours connections” (Town Crier, Aug. 4). The Palo Alto Host Lions Club produces an annual Palo Alto Concours charity car show. Many local charities and Lions International Eye and Ear projects are supported by the proceeds of the Concours. Palo Alto Host Lions Club is comprised of residents of
Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto and other neighboring cities. Interested in the Lions Club and participating in the Concours? For more information, visit www.paloaltolions.org. Nina L. Steiner Palo Alto Host Lions Club Los Altos Hills
Sign needs graphic overhaul Real estate broker Ron La-
Letters to the Editor
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betich did a wonderful community service by putting up the sign pointing to downtown Los Altos. The Town Crier article (“Snagging shoppers,” Aug. 4) said he “consulted with the Los Altos Village Association, the Chamber of Commerce and folks at the Town Crier for ideas on words and fonts.” I only wish he had consulted a graphic designer. As it stands, I don’t think the sign at all represents Los Altos or downtown. Rather, it looks like it belongs outside a strip mall. Every organization, including our city, has a brand (the sum total of all images people associate with it). Whether it’s intentionally See LETTERS, Page 9
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Comment
Sidewalk Interview What was your first job, and what do you remember most about it? (Asked in downtown Los Altos)
Compliments take little but go a long way By Jackie Madden Haugh
A
s chaos erupted one Tuesday at the El Camino YMCA, I was about to scold 15 4-year-olds for their squirrelly behavior when cherub-faced Morgan Cheli announced, “You’re pretty.” At first I was sure this baby was trying to throw me off guard so I wouldn’t lose my temper. But with a quick hug, she returned to her wild friends and prepared for my tongue-lashing. Watching her sitting patiently, with a gentle smile on her face and her tiny hands folded in her lap, I thought, “How could I ever be upset with anyone so precious?” For the past 18 years, I’ve had the joy of teaching children dance as a part-time hobby. Wanting an environment where the moves were based on expression, not perfection, I provided a venue where dancers could be free with their bodies while feeling the beat of the music. This loose structure has opened the door for many an untamed remark. I’ve been told, “You may look like a grown-up, but you don’t act like one.” It’s been declared that I’m the “silliest creature” they’ve ever known and that for “being 100 years old (I’m only 57), I look darn good.” But in all my years, I’ve never had a child tell me I was pretty. Studying Morgan that afternoon, I saw that her heartfelt compliments were not just for me. She whispered something sweet in every little girl’s ear: Maddie had on a beautiful sweater; Vivian had a nice hairdo; Lena, Catherine and Maya had fun outfits. But the most touching was when she turned to her best friend, Elyssa, and said, “I love you.” I left that day wrapped in the warmth of a child’s
innocent expression and wondered, “When was the last time I told someone they were pretty, or even that I loved them?” God knows I think those things, but when do I make the effort to be so unabashed? As grown-ups, we often get completely lost in our daily routines of mundane chores and unpaid bills. We forget it’s the simple things that make life delightful. It feels good to receive a compliment. It feels even better to give one, especially when it comes from the heart. Relishing how I felt in that brief second, I decided it was time I stopped living in a bubble. I needed to pay attention to the world around me and tell people what I’m thinking, as long as it’s kind. My mission this month is to find some unsuspecting soul and pay them a compliment. It might be at the gas station or in line at Safeway. I will search for my victim, find just the right thing to say and blurt it out. What’s the worse thing that could happen? They could turn away because they fear I’m some crazy person. But more likely, it will make them smile. Just imagine what Los Altos would be like if we all followed Morgan’s lead. It would truly be the happiest place on earth!
Haugh About That?
Engineer for California Amplifier. We changed the way Americans watch TV. I loved it because it was geeky and techy, and it had a lot of impact on everyone’s lives. Olivier Bernard San Jose
I worked in a liquor store as a bottle boy. It was a fun job because I got to help stock the wine cellar. John Hall Corralitos
LETTERS From Page 8 Naval aviation. The caliber of people I flew with was the finest. Dick Blanding Los Altos
Babysitting these two boys (pictured). Going to the pool and hanging out. Elizabeth Echerd Los Altos
planned or comes about through random signs, stores, buildings, whatever, it becomes associated with the city in the minds of residents, visitors and shoppers. I hope that if and when Labetich tackles the signage along Foothill Expressway, he consults a graphic designer – and the city council, which should be mindful of how Los Altos is represented. Pat Marriott Los Altos
Downtown discussions deserve attention
My first job was at a fast-food restaurant. It was just the excitement, because I was working and I finally had my own money. Lee Ann Clavin Los Altos
I was a stock boy at a clothing store. (I remember) just having fun selling. Bill Shepard San Jose
Interviews and photos by Cassandra Feliciano
A presentation by the group Los Altos 2025 at the Aug. 5 planning commission drew 90 people. My hope was that the community could have been at least acknowledged for showing up. I do respect that the agenda was full following this presentation, but it was a missed opportunity for input. The study, presented by this group of residents, was the raw data of what we as a community are facing economically due to the slow response of our policymakers in this city regarding downtown mixed-use.
Jackie Madden Haugh is a Los Altos resident. Contact her at Jackie@ jackiehaugh.com.
A few pertinent facts for your readers to consider: Retail sales have dropped 40 percent in the past 13 years. A revitalized downtown would add millions in property-tax revenues to the city budget. But based on the current plan, it appears our community is about to make a $10 million mistake. The sentence from the presentation that has kept me awake at night since was that “there have been seven studies around parking and land-use since the late 1980s.” Twenty years of conversations? That is outrageous. Why is it that we are not demanding that the planning commissioners take the best parts of those studies, meet with the environmental commissioners to get their input, take a vote and make a recommendation to the city council? Please tell me, now that 2025 has gotten our attention, whose feet do we hold to the fire? Crysta Krames Los Altos
People want revitalization I attended an excellent presentation by Los Altos 2025 to the Los Altos Planning Commission Aug. 5 about creating a vibrant
downtown. There was overwhelming support for revitalizing our downtown with the strategies outlined by the 2025 committee. They made a compelling case that moderately higher density and creating a sense of place are essential components for avoiding the eventual demise we’re currently on course for. When I imagine what I want in downtown Los Altos, I imagine a visually interesting streetscape and architecture that invites pedestrians and is safe for bicyclists. I imagine a vibrant place that offers a variety of shopping and dining choices (that will, in turn, contribute more revenue to our local schools). I imagine a place that my kids will want to hang out in instead of fleeing to Mountain View or Palo Alto. I am thrilled there is so much support for this vision of our downtown. While several planning commissioners focused on all the obstacles and reasons why creating such a place isn’t feasible in our town, I was inspired by the parting message from the presentation: With a little courage, we can do it! Laura Teksler Los Altos
August 18, 2010 / Los Altos Town Crier / Page 9