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Page 4 / Los Altos Town Crier / April 6, 2011 News News Briefs Local unemployment tied for lowest in county Los Altos tied Saratoga in Feb- ruary for the lowest unemploy- ment rate in Santa Clara County at 5.2 percent, according to a report issued by the California Employ- ment Development Department March 25. The number fell slightly from the 5.4 percent rate reported in November 2010. The report stated that roughly 700 people out of a 12,500-resi- dent labor force were out of work and actively looking. The report uses 2000 census data in its esti- mations. San Martin – south of San Jose – had the largest chunk of unem- ployed workers at 23.5 percent, or 500 people. San Jose registered 52,100 unemployed residents (11.4 percent). – Elliott Burr Paving policy continues for Los Altos streets Following city staff’s recom- mendation, the Los Altos City Council March 22 voted to con- tinue using asphalt concrete to pave the 3-foot-wide roadside drainage swale between the street and residents’ property in neigh- borhoods. There are two components to the city-owned area, according to Larry Lind, Los Altos senior engineer, the roadside drainage swale and a shoulder parking area. Paving the swale with asphalt concrete is safer and conducive to positive drainage. Loose materi- als such as bark, compost or rocks are unsafe for pedestrians and bi- cyclists, he said. Staff members have issued eight permits since December 2009 for shoulder-area improve- ments, four for parking areas, which remain residents’ prefer- ence, Lind said. Residents may use any surface material they choose for the parking areas as long as it is compactible. – Jana Seshadri Library visitors concerned with traffic and parking By Jana Seshadri Staff Writer/[email protected] M any of the nearly 1,700 daily visitors to the Los Altos main library are concerned about traffic and park- ing problems linked to its popu- larity, according to a recent report compiled by the library commis- sion. After conducting a survey to seek input from library patrons, a subcommittee of the Los Altos Library Commission comprising Cathie Perga, Darwin Poulos and Judith Suelzle spent several hours at various times and dates observ- ing the vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the area adjacent to the library. Considering traffic congestion more urgent than parking prob- lems, the subcommittee has con- centrated on the logjam first and deferred consideration of the park- ing-related problems, Poulos said. Studying the traffic and activity patterns around the library has un- covered several problems. “The committee has identified a number of conditions that could contribute to an accident, resulting in possible damage to vehicles, in- jury to drivers, passengers, pedes- trians or bicyclists and liability to the city,” Poulos said. Concerns include unusually high traffic volumes, especially prior to programs at the library, the Los Altos History Museum or the Hillview Community Cen- ter; no posted speed limit on the access road between the library and museum; and overgown trees and shrubbery blocking the line of Helicopter responds to LAH burglary By Elliott Burr Staff Writer/[email protected] T he Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department dis- patched approximately six officers and a helicopter last week to Miranda Way in Los Altos Hills after residents reported their home had been burglarized. Upon arrival March 28, officers discovered the suspect(s) had stolen a laptop but nothing else, according to Capt. Carl Neusel. “We didn’t know what we had coming in there,” he said, noting dispatch told them the burglary was reported as in progress. “We always err on the side of caution.” He said no one at the scene saw the suspect, and he or she could have fled even an hour before of- ficers showed up. Neusel, who said officers came from Cupertino, Saratoga and Los Altos Hills, con- firmed that the incident was a bur- glary but couldn’t go into detail be- cause an investigation is under way. Some residents circulated e- mails after the Miranda Way bur- glary alleging that officers had in- terrupted the burglary, but Neusel said that wasn’t the case. To fund the helicopter, the Sher- iff’s Department uses money seized in drug arrests, according to public information officer Rick Sung. The chopper costs the department an average of $350,000 annually. Fire truck collapses bridge over creek PHOTOS BY ELLIOTT BURR/TOWN CRIER A Santa Clara County Fire Department crew responding to a medical call in the 1400 block of Miramonte Avenue 2:30 a.m. Monday col- lapsed the bridge spanning Permanente Creek. No one was injured. The accident left approximately 12 residents without a way to drive their cars across the pri- vate drive, according to resident Richard Feld- man, but they were able to get out by walking through backyards. A crew, inset, was working to remove the engine Monday. Battalion Chief Joe Parker, noting the engine weighs approximately 40,000 pounds, said fire crews have crossed the bridge before in similar vehicles. According to Los Altos Engineering Services Manager Jim Gustafson, the bridge’s use permit – issued in 1993 – shows it was capable of holding approxiamtely 36,000 pounds. COURTESY OF DARWIN POULOS Motorists drive through the entry to the Los Altos main library. The congested area causes logjams and is the site of unsafe conditions. See TRAFFIC, Page 5 Petty theft March 29, 5:15 p.m., 100 W. Portola Ave.: Un- known suspect(s) stole an unlocked purple-and- white mountain bicycle worth $350 from Egan Junior High School. March 29, 6:03 p.m., 700 Los Altos Ave.: Un- known suspect(s) stole a locked bicycle valued be- tween $300 and $400 from Santa Rita School. Grand theft March 29, 11:55 p.m., 1400 block of Ranchita Drive: Unknown suspect(s) transferred $15,000 from the victim’s credit union account to an outside account. To read more news, visit www.losaltosonline.com. Police Blotter
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CNPA_BNC_2011_NewsPhoto
Transcript of CNPA_BNC_2011_NewsPhoto
Page 4 / Los Altos Town Crier / April 6, 2011
NewsNews Briefs
Local unemployment tied for lowest in county LosAltostiedSaratogainFeb-ruary for the lowest unemploy-mentrateinSantaClaraCountyat5.2percent,accordingtoareportissuedbytheCaliforniaEmploy-ment Development DepartmentMarch25. Thenumber fell slightly fromthe 5.4 percent rate reported inNovember2010. Thereportstatedthatroughly700 people out of a 12,500-resi-dentlaborforcewereoutofworkand actively looking. The reportuses2000censusdatainitsesti-mations. SanMartin–southofSanJose–hadthelargestchunkofunem-ployedworkersat23.5percent,or500 people. San Jose registered52,100unemployedresidents(11.4percent).
– Elliott Burr
Paving policy continues for Los Altos streets Following city staff’s recom-mendation, the Los Altos CityCouncil March 22 voted to con-tinue using asphalt concrete topave the 3-foot-wide roadsidedrainageswalebetweenthestreetand residents’ property in neigh-borhoods. There are two components tothe city-owned area, accordingto Larry Lind, Los Altos seniorengineer, the roadside drainageswale and a shoulder parkingarea. Paving the swalewith asphaltconcreteissaferandconducivetopositive drainage. Loose materi-alssuchasbark,compostorrocksareunsafeforpedestriansandbi-cyclists,hesaid. Staff members have issuedeight permits since December2009 for shoulder-area improve-ments, four for parking areas,which remain residents’ prefer-ence, Lind said. Residents mayuse any surface material theychoose for the parking areas aslongasitiscompactible.
– Jana Seshadri
Library visitors concerned with traffic and parkingBy Jana SeshadriStaff Writer/[email protected]
Manyof thenearly1,700dailyvisitorstotheLosAltos main library are
concernedabout trafficandpark-ing problems linked to its popu-larity,accordingtoarecentreportcompiledby the library commis-sion. After conducting a survey toseek input from library patrons,a subcommittee of the Los AltosLibrary Commission comprisingCathiePerga,DarwinPoulosandJudithSuelzlespentseveralhoursatvarioustimesanddatesobserv-ing the vehicle and pedestriantraffic in the area adjacent to thelibrary.
Considering traffic congestionmore urgent than parking prob-lems, the subcommittee has con-centrated on the logjam first anddeferredconsiderationofthepark-ing-relatedproblems,Poulossaid. Studyingthetrafficandactivitypatternsaroundthelibraryhasun-coveredseveralproblems. “The committee has identifiedanumberofconditionsthatcouldcontributetoanaccident,resultinginpossibledamagetovehicles,in-jurytodrivers,passengers,pedes-triansorbicyclistsandliabilitytothecity,”Poulossaid. Concerns include unusuallyhigh traffic volumes, especiallyprior to programs at the library,the Los Altos History Museum
or theHillviewCommunityCen-ter; no posted speed limit on theaccess road between the library
andmuseum;andovergowntreesandshrubberyblockingthelineof
Helicopter responds to
LAH burglaryBy Elliott BurrStaff Writer/[email protected]
The Santa Clara CountySheriff’s Department dis-patched approximately six
officersandahelicopterlastweektoMirandaWayinLosAltosHillsafterresidentsreportedtheirhomehadbeenburglarized. UponarrivalMarch28,officersdiscoveredthesuspect(s)hadstolenalaptopbutnothingelse,accordingtoCapt.CarlNeusel. “We didn’t know what we hadcoming in there,” he said, notingdispatch told them the burglarywas reported as in progress. “Wealwayserronthesideofcaution.” Hesaidnooneatthescenesawthe suspect, and he or she couldhave fled even an hour before of-ficers showed up. Neusel, whosaidofficerscamefromCupertino,SaratogaandLosAltosHills,con-firmedthattheincidentwasabur-glarybutcouldn’tgointodetailbe-causeaninvestigationisunderway. Some residents circulated e-mails after the Miranda Way bur-glaryallegingthatofficershadin-terrupted the burglary, but Neuselsaidthatwasn’tthecase. Tofundthehelicopter,theSher-iff’sDepartmentusesmoneyseizedindrugarrests,accordingtopublicinformationofficerRickSung.Thechopper costs the department anaverageof$350,000annually.
Fire truck collapses bridge over creek
PHoToSbyELLioTTbURR/ToWNCRiER
A Santa Clara County Fire Department crew responding to a medical call in the 1400 block of Miramonte Avenue 2:30 a.m. Monday col-lapsed the bridge spanning Permanente Creek. No one was injured. The accident left approximately 12 residents without a way to drive their cars across the pri-vate drive, according to resident Richard Feld-man, but they were able to get out by walking through backyards. A crew, inset, was working to remove the engine Monday. Battalion Chief Joe Parker, noting the engine weighs approximately 40,000 pounds, said fire crews have crossed the bridge before in similar vehicles. According to Los Altos Engineering Services Manager Jim Gustafson, the bridge’s use permit – issued in 1993 – shows it was capable of holding approxiamtely 36,000 pounds.
CoURTESyoFDARWiNPoULoS
Motorists drive through the entry to the Los Altos main library. The congested area causes logjams and is the site of unsafe conditions.
See TRAFFIC, Page 5
Petty theft March29,5:15p.m.,100W.PortolaAve.:Un-known suspect(s) stole an unlocked purple-and-white mountain bicycle worth $350 from Egan
JuniorHighSchool. March29,6:03p.m.,700LosAltosAve.:Un-knownsuspect(s)stolealockedbicyclevaluedbe-tween$300and$400fromSantaRitaSchool.
Grand theft March 29, 11:55 p.m., 1400 block of RanchitaDrive:Unknownsuspect(s)transferred$15,000fromthevictim’screditunionaccounttoanoutsideaccount.
To read more news, visit www.losaltosonline.com.
Police Blotter
